The Reason
by balfonheim
Summary: [Songfic: The Reason by Hoobastank][Squffie][Completed] Yuffie, Squall, and the rest of the Traverse gang are just hunky dory. But what happens when a new man enters Yuffie's life?
1. Business as Usual

**A/N: I felt the sudden urge to begin a new story. Don't ask me why, because I can't tell you. I think it might be my muse's fault, as it is not happy with any of my stories at the moment and is feeding me information for this one and another story that I won't post yet. So... I guess I have to satisfy it to shut it up!  
  
The song is from Deplora, who kindly gave it to me because she was overloaded with other stories. Kudos to you! I hope I can do this justice, as it is a very good song. I also want to thank October Breeze who has been appointed my "editor" for this story (didn't read this part when you were checking it, eh Cka?). I thank her for her insight and helpful story building ideas. THANKS MUCH!  
  
Anyway, enough of my rambling.   
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_[Disclaimer: I own nothing here that is easily recognizable. Nadda. Nothing. The only things I own are Caine Stokes (although he's partially October Breeze's) and about five posters of my bishies! ]_

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Someone roughly shook Yuffie awake. She yawned and turned over on her other side, trying to ignore them. It wasn't going to happen, as the person pushed her off of the bed and onto the hard floor of the Green Room."Ouch! You didn't have to do that, you know! I would've woken up eventually," Yuffie protested angrily. She opened her eyes slightly and the frown that was scrawled across her face deepened. "I'm going to go back to sleep.""You either get up or you miss playing with the puppies. When I made that deal with Aerith, you promised you would stick to my schedule, my rules. Training is from eleven to seven, and you get till eight o'clock for free time. If you aren't back by then, I'm locking you out," he growled coldly, walking out the door and closing it quietly behind him.Yuffie glared at the spot where Squall Leonhart had stood. _That... that..._ she let out a loud sigh of frustration because she couldn't think of the right adjective to describe the man who had graced the room with his presence. He was so mean, nasty, and in general, argumentative with Yuffie that she had to protest! What else was the teenager to do? She realized that he wasn't instigating the arguments, just like he didn't mean to be unkind towards her. Mostly it was her fault. _Oh well,_ she thought. _He does respond to the provocation! He doesn't _have_ to!__   
  
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Pulling herself up from the pile of tangled covers on the floor, she stretched and let out another yawn. Squall had gotten her up, that much was true. Otherwise, she would have been sleeping half the day away, and she never liked that. Then the day felt so wasted, as she was locked up in their room at eight o'clock at night.His schedule was really strict, but Yuffie had to abide by it. Aerith would force Yuffie to study magic if not, and that was something that Yuffie found extremely boring. Despite that fact that Aerith was kind and calm and a perfect little angel, she was a dull teacher, at best. Fighting with Squall, sorry, Leon was much better. Yuffie could work out all the frustrations of life in her training, and meanwhile she was gaining both physical and mental strength. There had to be plus sides to that.Yuffie walked over to the dresser and rifled through the bottom two drawers, which were hers. Squall had claimed the top three, so that left the others for her. "Aha!" She cried out triumphantly as she grabbed the green tank top and khaki shorts that she always wore. Aerith found Yuffie's fashion sense deplorable, but Yuffie wouldn't dream of wearing anything else. This was comfy, and that was all that mattered. There wasn't any guy to impress anyway. Or at least that's what the sixteen year old ninja thought as she pulled the top on over her head and stepped into her shorts.Yuffie pulled her shoes out from underneath the bed and put them on without her usual knee-high socks. It was getting warmer and warmer in Traverse lately, and she had to find ways to cool off, even if it meant discarding her precious socks. With a spring in her step, she bounced out onto the balcony and jumped to the alleyway below.A few Heartless blocked her path to the Dalmatians' house, but she dispersed of them easily with her shurikens. Yuffie raced to the doors and threw them open. Puppies jumped up on her and she patted each and every one of them. They settled down and she continued on to the rest of the house. In the piano room, Squall sat on the floor playing fetch with a puppy._His nice side really does come out when he's around these cute things, _she mused. _Just by being with him every day, you would never imagine that he even possessed a soft side. But that is him, Mr. Iceblock.__   
  
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"Didja miss me?" She asked him as she flew in through the doors. He didn't even jump. She was hoping to surprise him, but apparently he had heard her coming... or something like that. Even if she was a ninja (and a pretty good one if she did say so herself), Squall could pick up on everything she did. And that got annoying..."You finally managed to drag yourself here, then. I admit I wasn't expecting that. Then I won't tell Aerith... yet... about anything you have done. Breaking that electrical wire in the Third District will remain strictly confidential. Besides," he added as an afterthought, "Aerith would probably find some way to blame me for that. We have half and hour before going to the Waterway to train.""Got it, Squ-er-Leon. Half an hour before you make me jump through the fires of hell. Gotcha. I'm going to go and see what Aerith's up to, since I don't see her much anymore," Yuffie replied. She skipped out of the house relatively quickly so that she could reach the Hotel before she was forced to go and train.Lucky for her, Aerith was standing outside the clothing shop, Petitte's. It was the most expensive spot in the whole of Traverse Town, and Yuffie knew that Aerith couldn't afford anything inside. Or at least she didn't think that Aerith had been saving her money."Aerith! Aerith!" She called to her friend, a little breathless. The plink-clad woman turned towards Yuffie and smiled broadly, waving. Yuffie finally came to a stop at her side and held her aching side."Hey Yuffie! How have you been? Have you been hassling Leon about his name or the training schedule again? You do that all the time, and I think he finds it very annoying. You really should-" the woman was cut off when Yuffie put her hand up to signal her to stop."I know, Aerith. I try, all right? Right now, I just wanted to visit you as Leonhart is taking those years as a SeeD a little too seriously with me. Gawd is he tough! But, anyway, what're you doing? This place is so expensive; you can't possibly be able to buy anything."Aerith's smile didn't fade at all when Yuffie said this. In fact, it only got broader and broader until it stretched across her entire face. "Do you know what today is, Yuffie?"Yuffie considered for a moment, tapping her right forefinger against her chin. "No... not really. Is Cloud finally coming back? Is that it?"Aerith snorted, a look crossing over her face that Yuffie couldn't name. But it faded quickly and the smile was still there. "Today is your birthday, Yuffums. It's November 20. Come on! Don't tell me you didn't remember?""Oh... yeah... I remembered. I just wasn't sure if anyone else did. I didn't want to impose..." Actually, she hadn't known that it was her birthday, but Aerith would start up a lecture on the importance of having time for thinking about these things. Then she would get on Squall's case and that wouldn't be good for either of them."Good! Well, for your present, I've saved up a ton of money. Do you want something from this store?" She grabbed Yuffie's hand and pulled her in through the doors. "We'll find you something for your birthday dinner tonight!" Clearly, shopping is what Aerith was made to do.Aerith pulled Yuffie automatically towards the pink section, though about halfway there Yuffie managed to slip away without Aerith noticing. She disappeared to the blue blouses and looked through the racks of clothing. She heard Aerith squeal from the other side of the shop and cringed. Moments later, the young woman was standing in front of Yuffie holding a short, black skirt. A sigh escaped from between Yuffie's lips."No," Yuffie replied simply."Aww! Come on, Yuf! This would look so perfect with... let's see..." Aerith poured over the blue rack, then over the adjacent red rack and finally decided on a sleeveless, backless, green top. "This is a great shirt for you! It'll show off your body! I mean, you are seventeen now! You deserve to have guys hanging all over you!"Yuffie found herself once again being pulled towards a place that she would really not like to go. Yes, it was the dreaded shoe department. Aerith abandoned Yuffie to look at each and every one of the heels. Yuffie didn't want to see the pair that Aerith picked out for her. They would most likely be too..._ impractical_. Yuffie was all for being practical in her dress, and this outfit was not shaping up to be her type.Nevertheless, Aerith picked out a pair of unbelievably high heels. They were slinky and black, and Yuffie did like them, just not for her feet. She supposed they matched the outfit well enough, though she really wasn't one to decide on color or style."Now, you march right over to the dressing rooms and put this outfit on. I want to see how you look in it!" Aerith insisted, pushing the teenager towards the largely labeled sign that read: 'Dressing Room.' Yuffie frowned but did as she was told, knowing that the punishment for not listening to Aerith was harsh. By both Aerith and Squall.She tore off her clothes, knowing that the faster she went, the sooner she would get it over with. Carefully, she put on the green top that Aerith had picked out and slipped into the silky black skirt. She felt awkward in the trendy clothing and quickly strapped on the heels. Taking a deep breath, Yuffie exited the room and stepped out for Aerith to see."Wow! You look gorgeous, Yuf! I don't think I've ever seen you cleaned up like this! Change back out of that so that we can buy it! I'll explain to Squall why you were late to training. He'll believe me." Yuffie nodded, grateful that she wouldn't have to explain the whole embarrassing situation to Mr. Iceblock. He wouldn't understand about Aerith anyway.Looking at herself in the mirror, Yuffie was proud of her appearance. Despite the fact that she avoided this kind of clothing at all costs, she did look nice in it. She twirled in front of the mirror, a smile sneaking across her lips. Hopefully, she would 'wow' some people. After all, it was her birthday. She deserved to have something good happen to her.

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"You're late. Again," Squall said, not looking at Yuffie as she swam through the grimy green water of the Waterway. Not thinking, Yuffie stood to protest. Unfortunately, the spot where she stood was too deep for her and she fell beneath the surface.Two large, warm hands gripped her shoulders and hauled her out of the water. Squall threw her up onto the pebbles and she landed with a thud, coughing out the water she had managed to swallow. It had not been a pleasant experience at all.Squall's icy blue eyes glared down into hers. "What do you think you were doing?" He asked in that annoying monotone of his. Yuffie proceeded to take off her gloves and her shoes to let them dry out."I was just trying to say something! I forgot that it was deep there!" She defended, crossing her arms over her chest. Being wet and wearing clingy clothes was not something she reveled. Or at least not in front of Squall. Not that he would be impacted by her ugly, formless shape anyway. But it still made her uncomfortable."Well... anyway, as I said before, you are late. Where were you?" He asked, gently. Gently for him. He never got very nice, considering he was Mr. Iceblock."Aerith took me out to shop. It's my birthday, remember?" When he didn't reply, she continued, "You know, the day where I get special breaks, people treat me nicely, cake, presents. You remember now?"He nodded curtly and turned away from her, as if he was thinking. Finally, he took off his leather jacket and draped it around Yuffie's shoulders. "Go on. It's your birthday. You don't have to train today."Yuffie couldn't help the amazed gape from spreading across her features. _This_ was _not _Squall Leonhart."Who are you and what have you done to the real Squall?" She asked, feeling Squall's forehead. He growled and threw her hand away. It fell limply to her side, and she frowned. Then it _was_ Squall. Okay. Well, for a moment it was kind of nice to hope that he had changed into some friendly person..."It's Squall. And go, before I change my mind," he replied. She smiled at him and gave him a quick, unembarrassed hug before dashing off towards Merlin's house so that she would not get wet. Squall was blushing furiously, crimson heat spreading across his face. He went down to the water's edge and splashed a tiny bit of water on his face. The green slime certainly cooled him.Yuffie skipped up the stairs and climbed up onto the levitating platform. It moved upwards, into Merlin's study. He had abandoned it just a month ago, planning on going on some sort of "quest." The old man was incapable of getting out of the cavern, let alone go on a quest.She didn't reflect on how empty it felt in the cave, but jumped from floating rock to floating rock. Yuffie exited the cave out the large, wooden door emblazoned with an orange-red flame. A few Heartless jumped out at her, but she dodged them and went to the First District.A moogle came up to her, shouting "Kupo! Kupo!" at the top of its lungs. She stopped next to it, and it caught its breath before looking up at her with its beady black eyes that were actually sort of cute. Those moogles reminded her of stuffed animals, just waiting to be squeezed with hugs."Happy birthday, kupo!" It told her. Yuffie smiled at it, flicking its red ball at the top of its antenna. It made a loud, squeaking protest and Yuffie laughed, running up towards the Accessory Shop.A sign hung on the door. _Closed,_ it read. "I wonder what Cid's doing," Yuffie mused aloud. She started humming a song under her breath as she walked slowly towards the doors to the Second District. She figured she might as well succumb to Aerith's ministrations. When it came to clothing and makeup, she was a fish out of water.A Heartless popped up from the ground, but it was a small one, and she took out a shuriken and it disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. She began to go on her way when she looked up."Oh no..." she said. There, in front of her, were two large bodies, five blue rhapsodies, and a host of other black blobs."SQUALL! SQUALL, AERITH, HELP!!!" She shouted as loud as she could. They probably wouldn't be able to hear her though. "Damnit!" She cursed aloud. She tried to get them to disappear, but to no avail. Her shurikens were doing nothing for her at this point. Sighing, she called all of her strength into a magical attack.A blue rhapsody whizzed past her head and she prayed that it wouldn't be able to attack before she could. One of the large bodies flopped on the ground, sending a shock wave that knocked Yuffie down onto her back. It was not a good position to be in, considering. She mumbled a few words, calling on the strength of her ancestors."THUN-" She began to call thundaga when someone beat her to it."THUNDAGA!" An unfamiliar, male voice called out. The large bolts of lightning made all of the Heartless fade into nothing. _Ironic_, she thought, _that it's called "Thundaga" when it's really lightning...__   
  
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"Are you all right?" That voice asked her now. She came back to earth and smiled at the man in front of her. He was tall and well muscled, but he also appeared to be scholarly, if the glasses perched on his nose were any indication."Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. I would've gotten them on my own, but thanks," she said, brushing off her shirt and shorts. He muttered a few words and a comforting green glow encased her small body. She cocked an eyebrow curiously at him."Just in case, Miss. My name is Caine Stokes, and I co-own the weapons shop here in the Second District," he said, thrusting his hand out in front of him."Yuffie Kisaragi. I protect this town from the Heartless," she supplied. Her job sounded sort of ridiculous, considering he had to protect her. He laughed and she took his hand, hoisting herself up using his weight. "Well," she said, thinking, "actually I have a fighting partner but he's training. Today is my birthday.""Well then, happy birthday, Yuffie. May I escort you to your home?" He asked, being perfectly gentlemanly. Yuffie couldn't help but think he was a little cute. Friendly, too, which was a major plus. The only men in her life (Cid and Squall) were so anti-social it was unbelievable. And Cloud, once he came back, wasn't exactly talkative either."Sure, thanks! The Hotel, please.""I'm curious, but is your partner a tall man, dark brown hair, scar on his face? He had a blade with a gun fixed to it, too. A very... unique weapon," Caine commented. Yuffie nodded."Yeah, that's Leon Leonhart, though I like to call him Mr. Iceblock." He laughed hard. "Seriously! But, anyway, that weapon is called the Gunblade, a very rare weapon indeed. But it's really heavy and tough to manage; Squ-er-Leon let me try to use it one time. Ugh! What a pain that thing must be to lug around!"Caine made an incoherent noise. Yuffie couldn't quite tell what he meant by that, but she could see jealousy in his eyes. Obviously, since that guy owned a weapon's shop, he could get any weapon he wanted. But the Gunblade was special. It was the only thing Leon had from Hollow Bastion, besides his Griever necklace and that ring he never let Yuffie see.They arrived at the Hotel, chattering about this or that. Aerith came out of the door to see what was going on and smiled. Obviously, little Yuffums had found a guy already. Good for her!"Well, it was nice to meet you, Caine!" Yuffie told him as she followed Aerith in through the front doors of the building. "I hope to see you again sometime!""You won't be able to get rid of me, Yuffie. I'll talk to you later." He closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall. Great, now he would have that Leonhart fellow on his case for a long time. It was common knowledge around the town that Yuffie was Leon's partner, and that no one, no one at all, could get near her without facing the wrath of the lion. He was one overprotective guy.Something about his weapon, though, clicked in his head, though. He thought for a moment before smiling wickedly. Maybe he would be able to get to the lovely Miss Kisaragi, even if he did have to go through the lion to get to her. Getting through Leon might not be so hard after all...

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"Squall!" The petite Flower Girl called in to the Waterway. A grunt came as her answer. "Are you coming for Yuffie's birthday dinner at the Café?""Yeah, Aerith. Is that now?" He asked, his deep voice trailing down the passageway."Yuffie and I will meet you there in ten, okay? Did you hear me?" She asked."Yes. I'll be there," he said, sighing. Aerith nodded and set out for the Hotel to get Yuffie. She was all dressed up and didn't want to walk through the streets of Traverse on her own. Aerith had slyly suggested getting that nice 'Caine fellow' to escort her, but Yuffie had gotten angry and Aerith let the subject go.Squall swam out of the Waterway and slowly climbed up to the balcony of the Green Room. Was Yuffie really seventeen now? She had been so young for so long that he had thought she would never become an adult. Yuffie acted as if she was a permanent twelve anyway. But she was seventeen. He would have to start treating her with a little more respect.He wondered if she still wanted that necklace that had been in the window of the jewelry shop. It had topaz, her birthstone, on a pretty gold chain. She had admired it one day when they had gone to the Dalmatians'. Now Squall grabbed munny out of his drawer and headed towards that store. Despite the fact that he had known her birthday was coming up, he had neglected to buy her a gift.Luck was with him, as the store remained open. He entered through the blue door and was immediately bombarded by a salesclerk, asking if he needed help. Squall refused any assistance and went up to the woman at the counter instead."Do you still have that topaz necklace that was in the window a month ago?" Squall asked her. She nodded and smiled, pointing to the case at the other end of the store."I would like to buy it," Squall stated. Now the woman got frustrated with him. She left the counter and went over to the case. Carefully, she reached in and grabbed the necklace and handed it to him, not even bothering to put it in the box. She returned to her post behind the counter and punched a few numbers into the cash register."That will be 3000 Munny, sir," she said, extending her palm for his cash. He dropped the coins in her greedy claw and took the receipt, exiting the store. Generally, he had no patience whatsoever for clerks at stores, and that woman was no different. He only hoped that Yuffie would like it, considering he had paid so much money.Running swiftly down the streets and easily dispersing the Heartless that jumped in his way, he went towards the First District, totally oblivious to the fact that he was being watched by a bespectacled face from the weapons shop window.Caine's plan was all coming together now. And he would never have to hurt anyone. Not even that stupid, blind Leon Leonhart. But maybe he would, just for the fun of it.

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**A/N: Sooo? What did you think? I realize I called this "The Reason" and there are no lyrics. Well... they're coming. The story isn't far enough along yet that I can actually use them.  
  
Wow, this was getting really long. 10 pages! So, reward all this effort and review for me, please? Thanks much!**


	2. Birthday Girl

**A/N: This is going to be short so that you can read my chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews! Now, go and read!**

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_[Disclaimer: I own nothing except Caine Stokes (partially owned by October Breeze) and the waitress at the café. Enjoy!]_

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The Reason  
  
Chapter 2

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THE SKY was a mix of brilliant, yet pale colors of gold and purple, a soft breeze in the air. Yuffie smiled and hooked her arm through Aerith's and leaned her head against her shoulder as they made their way to the café. 

"Well Yuf, you wouldn't have asked for a better day to have your birthday," Aerith said happily, glancing at her. "I still can't believe you're seventeen. Seventeen is a big step from sixteen, you know."

"Uh-huh, I just want my presents and cake," Yuffie answered and let go of Aerith. She skipped forward to the café and looked around for a good table. When they found the one they wanted, they sat and waited for Squall before ordering.

They waited. And waited. And waited.

Aerith glanced at the watch around her wrist. It told her that Squall was exactly 24 minutes and 37 seconds late, give or take a few seconds. She lightly tapped her foot on the pavement and heard Yuffie sigh next to her.

"I wish he would show up on time for these types of things. It _is_ my birthday after all. But I guess he never did care about me all that much..." Yuffie said quietly, mostly to herself. Aerith shook her head and looked back towards the doors to the Second District. All of a sudden, Squall burst through the large, double doors.

"Here he is, Yuf!" Aerith exclaimed excitedly. There was something about the two total opposites (Yuffie and Squall) that made Aerith think that they had feelings for one another that weren't necessarily only friendship. But that was probably only Aerith's romantic mind. If you looked at the two, there was nothing that alluded to anything at all. They were both as unreadable as a book in the Ancients' tongue, which she had found at the old library in Hollow Bastion.

Squall walked calmly up to the table and sat in a chair opposite the two ladies. He placed his Gunblade on the ground at his side, careful never to get it out of his sight. The Heartless threat was still very much present, and none of the party could forget that.

A big, buxom young woman with flaming red hair came up to them and asked them what they would like to drink.

"Raspberry ice-tea, please," Aerith said politely. Of course, it was Aerith, and everything she said came out as a sweet, kind response.

"I'll have a Sprite," Yuffie said enthusiastically.

"Just water." That was Squall, obviously. He wasn't a big fan of soft drinks, coffee, lemonade and ice-tea, or liquor. So, his choice was always simply "water" or, on rare occasions, "tea."

Yuffie settled comfortably next to Aerith and looked over at the emotionless Squall Leonhart. He was quite an enigmatic man, and she could never tell where he was going with anything. But that was part of his charm: his mysteriousness. What girl could resist a mysterious man?

She considered him a friend, sure, but that didn't mean that a friend couldn't like another friend. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, Aerith always stressed how the people who start out as friends and then become something more are often the best couples. They know the most about each other, she said.

So, did it matter if she sort of, kind of had a crush on the handsome Squall Leonhart? Couldn't every girl have an icon, a hero? _Everyone needs someone to moon over. Squall happens to be a very admirable character,_ Yuffie thought. She needed excuses to get her mind out of the uncomfortable situation she had just pondered on.

"Well, while we're waiting for that, do you want to open your presents, Yuffums?" Aerith asked, reaching down into her large purse that sat on the floor. Trying to hide the package behind her back, Aerith finally just handed it over to the impatient Yuffie.

After pulling out all of the tissue paper in the decorative bag, she found a small, velvet box. Yuffie took it in her hands and ran her fingertips over the soft, fuzzy top before opening it. It was a thin golden band. Smiling brightly, Yuffie hugged Aerith.

"Thanks, Aerith! This is pretty!" She immediately put it on her finger and held out her hand.

"Here's my present, Yuf. I didn't have time to wrap it. Sorry," Squall said awkwardly, a tiny, almost nonexistent, blush spread across his cheeks. He handed her the topaz necklace. Yuffie took it tenderly, her eyes shining with happiness.

"Oh, thank you so much, Leon! I love it. How did you know that I wanted it?" She asked, fumbling with the clasp behind her neck. Not thinking about what he was doing, Squall leaned over and helped her with it. But it put both of them in an odd position, as their faces were only inches from each other and his arms were around her shoulders. The clasp clicked in place, but Squall couldn't move.

Hesitantly, Yuffie moved her head closer and closed her eyes to kiss him. Squall also moved forward, and their lips were mere millimeters from touching.

"Hey, Yuffie!" Someone called from across the District. The two flew apart and Yuffie blushed furiously, crimson spreading up her neck. She turned towards the voice and saw that it was a handsome, green-eyed, blonde man with a pair of glasses on his nose. He smiled and waved at them.

"You have the absolute worst timing, Caine," Yuffie murmured under her breath. Aerith had a mischievous glint in her jade eyes. Squall was looking away, not even sparing a glance towards the man quickly coming towards them, the man who had stopped him from kissing Yuffie.

"Oh, Caine, it's good to see you again," Aerith told him, smiling brightly. He nodded, and then turned his attention to the lovely birthday girl on the other side of the table that couldn't look him in the eye.

"Hi, Caine," she mumbled. He took her hand and kissed it. This made her eyes snap to him. Squall did not react, but, as Aerith noticed, he was tightly clenching his fists together. She wondered what was wrong, as Caine was the perfect gentleman.

"My dear, Yuffie! Happy birthday, mademoiselle," he replied cheerily, not even taking the time to look at the man sitting across the table from Yuffie and Aerith.

"Please, Caine, sit down and join us," Aerith offered politely, though she was a little annoyed at him because he had extremely bad timing.

"Why thank you. I think I will," he said. Caine pulled up a chair to the table and sat in between Yuffie and Aerith. This made Yuffie shy away from him and closer to Squall, and Squall had protectively moved towards her anyway. The result was them bumping into each other and then scooting away, embarrassed.

"I took it upon myself to buy you a gift as well," Caine said. He handed her a square box, wrapped in heart paper. Squall narrowed his eyes at the young man, but said nothing. There was definitely something very wrong here.

Yuffie opened it and found a small, sharp star shuriken, embedded with tiny amethyst stones. A smile slid across her face. "Thank you, this is so cool!" she said, twirling it around her fingers and sliding it onto her belt.

"Glad you think so. It came from the shop. We have some great things over there if you ever want to...check it out."

"Stokes, don't even think that you are ever going to win her over. I will cut your throat before you do anything to her," Squall growled from his seat. Yuffie and Aerith looked puzzled. Caine had a sly grin plastered on his handsome features.

"And why not? Maybe my past has changed. Maybe I have changed," he said. Squall shook his head, his russet hair flying.

"You touch either of them and you won't have hands anymore. Got it? Now leave before I decide to kill you anyway." Squall's cold anger left both of the young women shocked. They had no clue what either man was talking about. And now Squall was all worked up, and for what reason? There was nothing wrong with Caine Stokes as far as they were concerned. But, obviously Squall knew something neither of them did.

"You can't scare me away that easily, Leonhart. But I suppose the air at this table is no longer friendly," Caine replied coolly, his eyes narrowed, very much resembling an angry snake. "I hope you have a very happy birthday, Yuffie," he said, leaning over and kissing the girl on the cheek. Her face burned. Caine shook hands with Aerith and turned to leave.

But he spared one last smirk in Squall's direction before exiting the District.

"I'm out of here," Squall said after the quiet, uncomfortable pause that had ensued after the men's argument.

Aerith nodded, but Yuffie's lips turned down into a pouting frown **((A/N: I know, I know, it's a rhyme))**. She still didn't understand. Everything was supposed to be good and happy on her birthday. But something had happened between the two men that had ruined that.

Squall stood and grabbed his Gunblade before heading towards the Second District doors. Yuffie thought a moment before hugging Aerith, quietly thanking her for the gift, and following Squall.

He didn't acknowledge her presence until after they were in the Second District. Then he turned upon her, full force, sapphire eyes sparkling with fury.

"I wanted to be alone."

"Well, it's my birthday, Squ-er-Leon, and I decided I needed some answers. Care to share any information with me?" She asked, wearing on his already frayed nerves.

"No. I don't want to tell you anything."

Yuffie sighed and shook her head, running a hand through her short, raven hair. "I wish you would, though. I'm so confused..."

Squall looked at her and sharply in took a breath of air. When had she become so beautiful? It was as if a bud was finally blossoming into the gorgeous flower that it had always had the potential to be. He tried to suppress the sudden urge that coursed through his veins. Unfortunately, he was never very good at that.

Yuffie looked up at Squall just in time to see his lips come crashing down onto hers. He wrapped his arms tightly about her waist, and she put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The buildings seemed to sigh in happiness, as though watching the heroine and hero of a movie finally come together.

When they pulled apart, Yuffie was breathing fast, and her heart was violently thumping around in her chest. Squall had a wild look in his eyes that made Yuffie stunned. Before she could act on his kiss, though, he kissed her again and all of her thoughts scattered to the far recesses of her mind.

Somewhere during this whole process, Squall had picked her up and was now carrying her over to the Hotel, his lips still not leaving hers. Only occasionally, when they were lacking enough air, did their lips part for a moment. But only then, as they were both too hungry for the other's mouth.

Squall kicked open the Hotel door, ignoring the old man at the counter who was snoring. He had to put Yuffie down, however, to open their Hotel room door, and he did so reluctantly. Yuffie did not relinquish her hold around his neck, and her other hand was tangled in his mass of russet locks. Then he opened the door and pulled her inside, kicking it behind him.

What followed was a wild race to the bed. Squall hovered over Yuffie and then kissed her again. She deepened the kiss and ran one hand up and down his back and the other through his hair. He left a trail of kissed down her chin and neck, and she arched her neck in pleasure. He moved down and left a small kiss on her stomach, which made her gasp. He smiled wolfishly at her and suppressed anymore of her breathing with another kiss.

But, eventually a small voice in Yuffie's head (it sounded suspiciously like Aerith) warned her of all the possible outcomes. Pregnancy, lost self- respect, heartbreak, and those were only a few. She wanted to continue, but it took enough enthusiasm out of her kissing that Squall noticed and looked up with her, his hands stilling at her waist.

"I'm really sorry, Squall. But we can't do this. I-I-I can't do this," she said, bursting into tears and sitting up. Squall came back out of his cloud and realized what he had almost done. It was illegal, not to mention just plain old _wrong_. This was Yuffie Kisaragi here, and he couldn't do this to her.

"It's okay, Yuf. I'm really sorry," he whispered before quietly exiting the Hotel room. Yuffie lay down on the rumpled comforter and cried herself to sleep.

Squall slowly walked over to the Waterway and entered the cavern, his thoughts revolving around his actions. He wasn't sure what had made him do that. He didn't love Yuffie at all, but he did like her. He supposed it was that animal instinct or something, but he wasn't sure. He'd never felt that way about anyone before. Never. So, why now? Why _Yuffie_? He pondered on these thoughts for a few hours while training. There was something about the sweep of his blade, the arc of it coming down upon imaginary enemies, that calmed him and cleared his thoughts.

* * *

Yuffie woke out of her troubled sleep. Something had nagged at her brain and wouldn't let her do anything until it was settled. She looked around the room. Squall wasn't anywhere in sight, and she sighed, remembering what had happened. But even those thoughts weren't enough to satisfy that force that was telling her to get up and see what was happening. Before she did anything, though, she changed from the uncomfortable birthday clothes she had fallen asleep in, into her usual khaki shorts and green tank top. Then she was ready to go. 

Her intuition (as she had labeled it) made her go towards the big, open area in the Third District. She wondered why; as this area was deserted save for the empty house that hadn't been used in years. But she saw her answer when she got there. Squall stood in the center, his Gunblade tightly grasped in his hands. There was another person in the square also. He was tall, and blonde, and had a large saber-like sword with a bejeweled hilt. That was Caine.

"Leonhart, Leonhart, Leonhart..." Caine sighed with an unfamiliar tone in his voice. "You know, she's not a little girl anymore. She's fair game for all of the guys in Traverse. You had to know that she would be attracted to someone eventually."

"Yes," he growled, "but I would have preferred that someone not to be you. You're the one who is going to hurt her. You bastard."

"Bold words. I wonder if you're as bold in your fighting?"

"You don't want to do this, Stokes," Squall said before starting to walk away.

"Are you a_ coward_, now, Leonhart?" Caine sneered with an emphasis on "coward." Squall stopped in his tracks and turned around. He tensed up and raised his Gunblade menacingly.

"You've made the wrong decision, Stokes," Squall said as he stepped forward, his blade still raised. Caine brought up his weapon too and they glared at each other. By then, Yuffie was close to them, but neither noticed her proximity. Squall took the Gunblade and started a wide arc that could kill any opponent.

Yuffie dove in front of Caine before Squall could stop his weapon.

The heavy edged blade hit her square on the shoulder. A strangled scream ripped out of her throat, the blow making the air whoosh out of her lungs. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling to the ground, warm stabs of pain pulsing through her shoulder and down her arm. __

_"Yuffie!"__  
  
_Squall let his Gunblade drop to the ground in a clatter. Blood was spurting out of her shoulder, looking mangled and unrecognizable. Her eyes were open, glazed over and foggy, tears quick to fall down her cheeks. He reached out to touch her, to grab her wrist for a pulse—

"Don't touch her Leonhart. You caused enough trouble already," Caine said coldly. Before Squall could do anything, he picked Yuffie up, bridal style, smearing blood all over his well-pressed shirt.

_What have I done?_

__  
Squall knelt down on the ground, his black leather pants already stained with her blood. He pulled off his glove and touched the warm puddle of crimson on the stone square. Yuffie's blood. _She's hurt. She's_ dead. His thoughts trailed along this direction for quite some time before he had convinced himself that she was, in fact, no longer among the living. And it was all his fault. Squall ran his thumb over the scar on his face, not caring that he was spreading blood on himself. He stood and picked up the Gunblade, heading towards the First District. He had failed one he loved again.

"Goodbye, Yuffie," he said, tears coming out of his eyes, his throat tight. He had failed. The only thing left for him to do now was to leave and never come back. The brave, great, strong Squall Leonhart could not face the pain. He could not face the fact that his fighting partner was dead at his hand.

A gummi ship flew off in a burst of speed, but no one was awake to hear it.

* * *

**A/N: Don't you just love this? I do. Hopefully, you're not too sad about Squallikins leaving, though. He had to. It was how the story went. Despite how much October Breeze whined about him leaving, I had to do it. You'll see why later.** ******Oh, and I have to say, I am totally in love with this new "QuickEdit" thing that allows me to put in bold, italics, and the like. Thank you ff.net!  
  
Do you guys still like Caine? I admit, I still do. He's such a cool character even though he is evil. **

Well, anyway, REVIEW! 


	3. Dead

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Caine Stokes. The words are from the story's namesake, The Reason by Hoobastank._ By Hoobastank. _Not me._

* * *

_Darkness...  
  
...Memories...  
  
...Pain...  
  
...Ugh, what's that?  
  
It's... it's the light...  
_  
Yuffie groaned quietly. Someone quickly rushed over to her bedside and grabbed Yuffie's hand, willing her to wake up. But it was so painful. Her eyelids wanted to stay _closed_. And there was light out, making her eyes tear. Just because the person at her bedside seemed too urgent, Yuffie opened her eyes and was assaulted with a ferocious hug.  
  
"YUFFIE! Oh my gosh, you're awake! The doctors said that you might never wake up! I'm so _happy_! Oh, Yuf..." an excited Aerith squealed. Yuffie was bewildered. What had happened again? Oh yeah...  
  
"How long have I been out?" Yuffie asked the Flower Girl. Aerith gently tapped her chin for a moment before her eyes lit up and she smiled.  
  
"Long enough. Two weeks, I think. All the days have just sort of blended together..." But something was wrong that Yuffie could sense behind the woman's deep green eyes. She looked over to the small glass of water on the bedside table. Aerith, seeing Yuffie's longing gaze, tipped the glass into Yuffie's mouth. The young ninja drank it gratefully and emptied the entire glass. Her shoulder was throbbing, and she knew whose fault it was.  
  
Memories of that night had haunted her feverish dreams. The pain and the feeling that she would _die_ were still very present in her mind. It had been terrifying; when she was briefly awake with her injury, it was painful and uncomfortable and she couldn't think about anything. But when she had been sleeping, only the thought of death permeated to her slumbering brain. That, in itself, had been enough to make her want to give up. She hadn't, however. She wanted to see Squall again.  
  
"Where's Squall? He's going to pay for this!" Yuffie exclaimed, a hint of playfulness in her voice. But this just made Aerith break down in sobs. The door to the room opened and a tall young man with sandy blond hair and blue eyes came in, bearing a tray with a steaming cup of green tea on it. He set it on the table and smiled in Yuffie's direction.  
  
"I see you're awake, Miss Kisaragi? You had us worried, Aerith especially. I'm afraid that you've been nicked in the shoulder, Yuf," Caine told her. He still had that flirtatious lilt in his voice, and he hadn't noticed Aerith's sobbing figure quite yet. But when he did, his face fell and his clear blue eyes clouded over.  
  
"Caine, where's Squall? What happened out there? I can't remember, and..."  
  
"No! No, she's not strong enough, Caine. You can't tell her yet. She's too weak," Aerith said. "I'll tell you later, Yuffie. When you are well. You can't take the news yet."  
  
The way Aerith said this made Yuffie even more curious. Whatever had happened to Squall was pretty bad. And that made Yuffie's heart ache in her chest, not knowing what was wrong with Squall. Why, only two weeks ago, she had been in his arms, his lips on hers, his hands wreaking havoc on her body, those wonderful memories...  
  
Yuffie's mouth turned down into an angry frown. "You tell me now. It involves me, I'm strong enough, and I want to know. Squall is... very... important to me. Please," she asked of Aerith. The mage shook her head, a frown gracing her lovely features. Aerith stood and left the room. Yuffie regretted not listening to her friend, but she was curious. Nothing could stand between a curious Yuffie and her prey.  
  
"Fine, then. Caine, you tell me or I'll cut off your manhood while you sleep," she threatened. The man gasped, then started laughing. Yuffie had thought it was a pretty good threat, but apparently, Caine did not. He clutched his side in mirth and his eyes twinkled at Yuffie.  
  
"You almost made me feel better about telling you this, Yuffie," he told her. But then the shadow crossed his face and he took her hands in his own. "But the truth is, you won't be very happy with what I'm going to tell you."  
  
Yuffie gulped. "I can handle it, Caine. Tell me."  
  
He nodded and took a deep breath before plunging headlong into his story. "Squall and I got in an argument. Unfortunately, he and I both have an explosive temper and we fought each other. That's when you decided to just jump in front of Squall and take the brunt of his blow yourself. I could have defended myself. I'm a trained swordsman. I've learned how to block it."  
  
"Sorry..." Yuffie whispered. Caine waved it away with one slender hand.  
  
"Anyway, you got hurt. Bad. I was, understandably, furious with Squall. I took you away from him, to my home. By the way, this is the spare bedroom in my house." Yuffie nodded. "When I went back out to tell Squall that the bleeding had stopped and that you had the slimmest chance of surviving, I found him in the Third District. He had slit his own throat, Yuffie. He committed suicide because he thought he had killed you."  
  
"No..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Yuffie. I know how you must have felt for him. He was a brother to you, Aerith told me. It's very hard to lose a brother, I know. I'm here for you, Yuffie."  
  
"I don't believe you!" Yuffie screamed at him. Her eyes took on a cold, icy sheen and her teeth were bared, so to speak. Caine wondered what had caused this outburst. He thought that she would just dissolve in tears. He would be there to comfort her, of course.  
  
"Wait a second and I can prove it to you," Caine told her sadly. He went over to a drawer and opened it. He pulled the security latch on the mahogany wood to open a secret compartment in the drawer. There, inside, was the only thing Leonhart had left at the site. Caine carefully took out the Griever necklace and crossed the room to hand it to Yuffie.  
  
Her indigo eyes clouded over as she took the necklace in her hands. Cradling it lovingly, tears poured out of those deep pools of blue. Caine went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, patting her back softly. _That's it_, he thought, _now she'll need someone to comfort her. I'll be here, Yuffie.  
_  
Yuffie shook her head and placed Griever next to her heart. She closed her eyes and prayed that she might go to meet Squall in that place beyond. But, unfortunately, her body protested and told her that she ought to get well. Opening her eyes, she smiled sadly at the young man standing over her.  
  
"I'll be here, Yuffie. You can talk to me anytime."  
  
With that, Caine exited the room. Yuffie placed the necklace over her neck, letting it nestle in the hollow between her breasts. _Griever_, Yuffie thought, how appropriate. _I'll miss you Squall_.

* * *

"I miss you, Yuffie," a young man whispered into the chill winter breeze blowing in from the mountains. His long, russet locks whipped into his face and his lips were chapped from the cold wind. But he didn't want to go inside just yet. Absent-mindedly, her ran his right thumb over the scar across the bridge of his nose. Yuffie had given it to him when she was only 10, still training to become the best ninja in the universe. He forgot at the moment what name she used to call herself.  
  
He chose to remember her because he had killed her. His hands, those that had once helped her, held her, had betrayed Squall and had killed Yuffie. The smell of her blood, the crimson liquid spreading across the pavement, her blank eyes... Squall shuddered and a tiny tear slipped out of his left eye. He never cried. Frustrated, he wiped away the childish, weak tear and departed from the mountain ledge on which he was standing.  
  
He remembered all the times he had hurt Yuffie before. Squall had the bad habit of being harsh and cold, and Yuffie frequently had called him 'Mr. Iceblock.' Of course, that was just her pet name for the fighter, and he hadn't really minded. Sure, maybe he had retorted that his name was Leon or that he was not and ice block, but she hadn't listened. Oh no. She was one of those people who could be told not to do something one minute and then turn around and do it the next. She never listened. But that was one of the things that Squall actually was fond of. Yuffie was different... free almost. Someone he could learn from.  
  
Despite the fact that he had been mean and harsh to the young ninja for all of those years, he really cared for her. Up until she turned 16, the feelings he had for Yuffie were simply those of an older brother. He had to protect her, guide her, show her the ropes. And he thought he had done that job pretty well. But when she turned 16, his entire world had turned upside down. It was like he was going through puberty again or something. She started leaving behind girlhood and was fast approaching womanhood. That scared him beyond belief. That and the fact that she had turned absolutely _beautiful_ overnight.  
  
To control himself, he had set a boundary between them. He had convinced himself that she was not beautiful, was not a woman, was not worth his time. He made her think that he was cold, mean, and cruel. While it was not an image he adopted happily, he had adopted it. Squall pushed her to fight harder and better, using the Heartless as an excuse. All the while she had said he was a slave driver. That made him both happy and angry at the same time. It proved that his façade was working. But it wasn't showing him for who he really was.  
  
The truth was, he wasn't perfect. Not at all. He had to build that barrier so that he wouldn't hurt her or betray her or... or make a fool of himself. Pride played a big part in his deception. The proud Squall Leonhart did not wish to be humiliated because he had some sort of feelings for Yuffie. But he would learn. Oh, he would learn. That way, he wouldn't make a mistake the next time he fell for a woman... if he ever fell in love again. At the moment, all he could think about was Yuffie.  
  
_I'm not a perfect person  
__As many things I wish I didn't do_  
_But I continue learning  
__I_ _never meant to do those things to you_  
_And so I have to say before I go  
__That I just want you to know...  
_  
"I'm so sorry, Yuf. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't," he said aloud as he trudged back into the cave that he had inhabited since he found himself on Hollow Bastion. At least in the mountains there were less Heartless. He found that he hated killing anything anymore.  
  
He walked deeper into the cave to the small room that had dry wood and a fireplace in it. There was a bed along one wall and a few non- perishable canned items in cupboards on the wall. Clearly, this cave was a refuge for people who got lost in the mountains. Before this, Squall had had no idea that there were places like this in Hollow Bastion. But he had left it before he was even an adult, and so his memories could not be too trustworthy.  
  
Squall murmured "Fira" underneath his breath and sparks shot out of his hands and onto the wood. It ignited and there was a roaring fire in no time at all. The heat warmed his body on the outside, but on the inside, he was cold. There was a void where his heart used to be. It was gone, now that Yuffie was gone. That was why he thought he would never love again.  
  
He heard scuffling in the main cavern of the cave and picked up the Gunblade. The comforting weight of the Griever necklace was absent from his neck and for the first time it registered that he had lost it. _Oh well_, he thought. Cautiously, Squall walked out of the room and stayed out of view of the figure in the cave.  
  
It was standing on two legs, and was human-shaped. He hadn't seen a Heartless like this before, but that didn't ease his spirit. Ansem was always concocting new demons. Perhaps this monster was in the form of a human to throw off attackers. But it had long, black hair and was wearing a light, pearly blue. He hadn't seen anyone that looked like this since he was 17. _No_, he told himself. _No, it can't be. She's dead. She died when the Heartless overran Hollow Bastion. She_ does not_ exist!  
_  
"Hello? Is anyone around?" She asked in that familiar, dulcet voice that was so very dear to him. Was she a figment of his imagination, or was it really she? Could it really be the girl he had watched from afar when he was a teenager?  
  
"Rinoa?"

* * *

_I went to the State tournament for Power of the Pen on Thursday and Friday. Surprise surprise, I won 5th place in the state. Pretty good, eh? I also got to meet October Breeze there, which was awesome. So, just to sum it up, I had a good time, and got to miss school! YIPEE!  
  
If this chapter was worse than the others, I apologize. My e-mail is not working so that I can send it to my editor. So this was done completely editor-free and just my raw writing. Hopefully, it's okay. I'm not hoping for much.  
  
Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I am so happy that I got new people to put me on their Author Alert or Favorite Author list just because of this story! You guys rock!  
  
Please REVIEW!! _


	4. Moving On

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except Caine and his sister._

* * *

**The Reason  
**  
_Chapter 4_ _

* * *

_  
  
"Where have you been all these years, Squall?" Rinoa Heartilly asked the stoic young man from across the fire. Her fair, angelic features were illuminated in the soft glow. Squall almost growled an "It's Leon," like he would have with Yuffie, but swallowed that response. 

"I left when the Heartless came. I deserted you. I failed," he deadpanned. His voice, if monotonous and unfeeling, was beautiful to Rinoa's ears. How she had missed him! She had believed him dead or taken by Ansem. Only a few had lived after the attack.

"But I'm okay, Squall, really," she replied, scooting towards him and tentatively putting a hand on his shoulder. He tensed underneath her touch and Rinoa immediately pulled away.

"Yes, but I couldn't protect you and all those helpless people. I let them die. Their deaths are my fault," he said, realization dawning on him. Not only had he killed Yuffie, but the people of Hollow Bastion had died because he could do nothing.

"Squall Leonhart, you listen to me! You've killed no one; everything is all right. It's not your fault!" Rinoa exclaimed, trying to reason with the prideful lion. She knew he could explode at her any moment, but she could deal with his temper. What she couldn't deal with was a man who thought he had caused the death of so many.

He remained quiet, letting the silence speak for itself. She didn't know that Yuffie had been slain by his hands with the Gunblade. But what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. Besides, Yuffie's face already haunted him.

"Who else survived with you? Where are they?" The curious woman inquired to change the subject.

"Aerith and Cid. We all lived in Traverse Town for a while until I departed for here," he told her, not mentioning Yuffie.

But Rinoa had to bring her up. "What about little Yuffie Kisaragi?" It had been Rinoa who, out of the goodness of her heart, had bestowed the last bit of her magic to cast Aero for the girl.

"She..." his voice choked up and he turned away, running a hand through his russet mane. "She's dead. But she did come to Traverse Town with us unharmed."

"What happened to her?" Rinoa asked sadly. She had always been fond of the girl when she was young.

"I... I killed her Rinoa." The woman gasped.

"How?"

"I got in an argument with another man over Yuffie. I was just looking out for her best interests. Unfortunately, she got in the way of my blow. She's dead," he said in an unfeeling monotone. For the first time, Rinoa caught a glimpse of the emptiness inside of the tumultuous young man.

She stood and walked over to the spot next to him, plopping down as close as she could and grabbing him in a hug. He did not pull away, but seemed to like the comfort that she had to offer. It had been so long since she had held him in her arms. Nine long years of wondering and dreaming and now she had finally found him again. The love she thought she had thrown away years ago surfaced as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"It's all right, Squall. She'd forgive you. I forgive you. It was a mistake, and you were doing it for her good," she whispered soothingly. He nodded and moved out of her arms. While he should have been thinking about Rinoa, all he could think of was how Yuffie's arms had felt so _right_ around him. Rinoa just wasn't the same.

"Who survived with you?"

"Tifa Lockheart, Vincent Valentine, Zidane, you know, that monkey kid? And Quistis is still alive, but barely. She got ambushed by three defenders." Squall nodded gravely, glancing at the Gunblade. It was probably still stained with Yuffie's blood...

"I've become the healer in our little village..." Rinoa trailed on. Squall really wasn't listening, but was pretending to do so. His thoughts had returned to the vibrant girl Yuffie used to be, the beautiful woman she had so much potential to become. She had been an exceptional fighter, too. Even though he would have never uttered those words to her, he had shown it in his own way. Squall had pushed her harder.

"...And I really wish you'd come back to the village with me. Everyone would be so excited to see you – okay, maybe Vincent wouldn't show it, but he would be – especially Quistis. You understand, don't you?" Squall nodded because he had actually been listening to that. Maybe he would visit old friends, if only for a moment. He had to get his mind off Yuffie somehow.

Rinoa smiled smugly to herself. She had a plan that would restore the relationship between her and Squall to its former glory. It might ever be better...

She leaned against him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

"Squall! Squall, wake up!" Someone whispered urgently to him, shaking his shoulder. He groaned and flipped over so that Yuffie could no longer bother him. "Come on, Squall!"

He snapped back an, "It's Leon." Squall yawned and sat up, wondering what Yuffie was so insistent about. He opened his sapphire eyes and saw a young woman with black hair pulling on a jacket. The hair was just a bit too long, okay, probably two feet too long, and her style was different. This was not Yuffie.

"Well, _Leon_, you'd better be prepared to fight your way out of here. We've got Heartless swarming. I don't know why, but that doesn't matter." She looked at him, her eyes icy. She let out a bitter laugh and turned away. "And _my_ name is Rinoa. You were having a dream about Yuffie, Squall."

He wanted to glare at her but found he could not. "I realized that a while ago, Rinoa." With that, he picked up the Gunblade and exited the cave. Rinoa grinned mischievously as she heard him crunch through the snow. Moments later, she heard a loud, "Gods DAMNIT!!" coming from the frustrated lion.

"Where the hell are those damn Heartless?" He growled at her when he came back in. She giggled and attempted to smooth over that sweet, innocent schoolgirl act.

"Oops. My bad; sorry Squall," she said with an impish grin plastered across her beatific features. Sighing, Squall shook his head and left the cave once more, sitting just outside. He was angry with her but did not wish to hurt her. She could be just as fragile as Yuffie turned out to be.

The look in Yuffie's eyes when he hit her was terrifying to Squall. It haunted his every waking moment. It haunted his dreams. Yuffie had let so many things show in her eyes that it made her seem smaller, more delicate. She had been in tremendous pain, that was obvious enough. There had also been an excess of fear, more than the lion could take. But among those colder, distant feelings was hidden a tender one. She had known, somehow that it was goodbye and she had shown her true feelings to Squall.

Yuffie had loved Squall.

He wasn't sure which kind of love it was. She had persisted in telling people that he was just like an annoying older brother to her, so maybe the love was only that of a sister. It could have quite possible been the love of a friend. But something in Squall hoped that it had been more. In that case, he had killed it off. He had killed her.

Squall was reminded once more of the pain in Yuffie's eyes.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you _

_It's something I must live with everyday _

_And all the pain I put you through _

_I wish that I could take it all away _

_And be the one who catches all your tears _

_That's why I need you to hear..._

"Hello? Squall?" Rinoa called to him, waving her hands in front of his face. He blinked and snapped his attention to the young woman who was standing not a foot away from him, her hands on her slim hips. Squall stood and the distance between them lessened considerably. Rinoa's breath came rapidly as she looked up into those familiar, beautiful blue eyes of his. Slowly, she moved closer, thinking he was going to kiss her.

_It's been so long, Squall. So long since I last felt the warmth of your lips, your unforgettable taste. I can't believe I even survived without you,_ Rinoa thought as her heart raced and the inches became centimeters. _I still love you, Squall. I love you so much! And I want you to prove that you love me too. I want you to prove that you don't have feelings for that Yuffie girl. For the gods' sakes, she's nine years younger than him! He can't... he can't be thinking of her. It's simply guilt that's making him dream of her...__  
_  
Suddenly, Squall pulled back and brushed past her, into the cave. Her heart plunged to her feet and she felt an emptiness that almost made her want to throw up. He hadn't kissed her! It had almost seemed like he had felt revulsion towards her. She definitely wasn't sensing positive feelings coming from him. But she was determined to win him back, even if it killed her.

Squall quickly grabbed his pack from the cold, stone floor of the cave and departed from it, not caring if Rinoa was following. From her stories the night before, he had heard all he needed to hear on the location of the camp. He just couldn't stand to be around her anymore.

_What the hell was that, Leonhart? You. Are. Not. In. Love. With. Her. Anymore. Get a hold of yourself!_ He thought, wanting to kick himself but wondering how weird that would look in front of his current company. **But she's so comforting. I need comfort. And our history-**

_That's in the past! You love Yuffie!_

**I know that! But do you think I want to be tormented by memories of her death for the rest of my life? Do you think she'd want me to dwell on her forever? She'd want me to move on, and that's exactly what I was going to do!**

_You're still overcome by grief. Give it some time. You'll see the logic of my point. Rinoa is not the one you will end up with in the end._

**But Yuffie is dead. I killed her. She wasn't breathing when I left her**.

_You think that. But did you check?_

Squall suddenly remembered something. Something important. It had involved that night, fighting Caine, hitting Yuffie...

_He bent down to check for a pulse, but Caine quickly pulled her away. He was never able to get the pulse. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not, but it had seemed like she was. And Caine obviously thought that he could do something..._

"I am so _stupid_!!!" Squall shouted into the mountains. Rinoa came running up behind him, a puzzled look on her face, but he was deep in thought. He had never gotten a pulse, so he couldn't tell if she was still alive after he hit her or not. There had been a lot of blood, but with a healer like Aerith... And that Caine had seemed pretty well off in the area of magic also. How much could her condition have improved if she had been pumped with healing magic?

Was Yuffie still alive?

* * *

Yuffie yawned contentedly into the soft, fluffy feather pillow underneath her head. Her shoulder still had a ways to heal completely, but she could move around. The pain was also much more bearable, and Aerith had supplied her with plenty of Potions. Caine had also gotten his sister, Cassandra, to look after the shop while he helped Yuffie around the town. She was glad for the assistance of a friend.

Shakily, she stood and walked slowly over to the dresser, where her clothes were. She had been moved back to the Green Room as soon as she was feeling better. The room was just so much better of an atmosphere, especially since almost all of Squall's old things remained in the drawers. Yuffie found comfort in his scent, his Griever necklace, a few of his white t-shirts, and three extra belts. Yuffie had immediately altered her own look by applying all of his belts. She liked the effect.

Yuffie pulled out her customary pair of short khaki shorts. Instead of her green halter-top, though, she wore a green short-sleeved shirt because her shoulder was absolutely hideous to look at. Aerith insisted that it would become a pretty silver scar in the end, but Yuffie still hated it. She wanted quick results, not the slow process of healing.

The young woman slipped on her shoes and ran out of the door. Her trusty legs were strong; it was only her right arm that was misbehaving. Caine waited by the front desk and held out an arm for her. She gladly took it and he murmured his healing words – the first out of five healing times during the day – before leading her out the door.

Caine was a very good friend to her. Yuffie had to just get past the fact that he always seemed to be flirting with her. But it was all good- natured flirting and she didn't really mind all that much. It wasn't like she had ever had anyone flirt with her before.

She was reminded of Squall. He hadn't dared to be pleasant with her. Yuffie wondered why, and then remembered how horrible she always was to him. Despite the fact that he was also mean and cold and, in general, a slave driver, she had deflected all that. Now she wasn't so sure that he had managed to ignore her taunts and other things. Yuffie certainly hoped he hadn't.

Caine noticed her preoccupation and they sat down on the bench right outside the Hotel. She chewed her bottom lip, a sure sign that she was thinking hard, and idly tapped the heel of her left shoe on the ground. Caine flipped a stray lock of hair out of her pretty face and smiled as the lamplight hit it in just such a fashion. When illuminated like that, she looked just like an angel.

"Is there anything wrong, Yuffie?" He asked sweetly, spreading on the charm as he slipped his arm around her waist. She ignored his arm and shook her head, her eyes cast up to the starry night sky.

"Only thinking about Squall. I wonder what it felt like to die like that? Without anybody around to comfort him? It must have been terrible. I feel so bad," she said, tears coming to her eyes and sobs choking out her voice. Caine scowled but patted her on the head and let her lean against his shoulder. Sobs racked her lithe frame for quite a while until she calmed down. Trying desperately to be happy again, she smiled at him and leaped up onto her feet.

Caine grinned back and took her hand. Together, they walked towards the Café, where Aerith would meet them in ten minutes. But it was better to be early than late when you were around Aerith. You never knew when she would blow up about something lately. It seemed as if Squall's death had caused her sweetness to dissipate just slightly. Yuffie missed the old Aerith.

A few Heartless popped up in front of them, but they were easily dispersed, as Caine was very handy with his sword. Yuffie found that she missed the comforting weight of her shuriken pouch around her waist and frequently found herself reaching for them. Her hand always hit one of Squall's belts and she remembered the she was right-handed and her right shoulder was busted. Right.

Aerith was sitting at the table, waiting for the two of them. She smiled sweetly at them and Yuffie wondered if she would have one of her "moments" soon. Hopefully not. Hopefully, Aerith would just be the nice, holy woman she had always been and ignore the fact that Caine was being entirely inappropriate at the table.

But she couldn't. "Caine! Get your hands away from Yuffie! She's injured, and besides, she's only 17!" Of course, this was a different opinion than Aerith had had on Yuffie's 17th birthday, but Yuffie didn't comment on that. It would only make Aerith angry.

Sheepishly, Caine scooted away from Yuffie and buried his face in the menu. Yuffie scowled over at Aerith and the woman just shrugged her shoulders. This was her sign for "he had it coming to him." Yuffie sighed and shook her head, sipping on a cup of green tea Aerith had shoved in her direction.

This was going to be a long day. Yuffie could feel it. Without Squall, it was always boring. Despite the fact that she had trained day-in and day-out, there had still been fun times. Particularly when Squall and Aerith were both in good moods, and Yuffie wasn't being too pesky. Then they'd really have fun. Okay, so Squall would just kind of stand back in the corner while Aerith and Yuffie would laugh and carry on, but he'd occasionally have a smile on his face. And one smile was enough to make Yuffie's day.

Yuffie couldn't forget how those lips, the same ones that had formed the tiny smiles, had pressed to hers. She couldn't forget his overwhelming presence, those piercing sapphire eyes, and his taste. No, Squall would never be forgotten. Not as long as Yuffie still drew breath.

Because she loved him.

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_Thanks to my reviewers! I feel so loved_ _  
  
_  
_I'd also like to direct everyone's attention to this site: www.derelicte.com . It has information on KH2 and plenty of cool video clips and music videos. I suggest the two Linkin Park music videos (they have scenes from KH in them, really cool)._ _  
  
_  
_Oh, and I believe I have finally gotten why so many people adore Riku. I now adore Riku. 'Tis simple my friends. He's got the voice of David Gallagher and you just have to love him. Too bad KH2 isn't coming out till 2005. But I did hear that December 30th was picked out, so that could mean December 30th 2004... in that case, I'm reserving a copy early!_ _Ciao!_


	5. Here Without You

_Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine except for Caine Stokes._

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"Oh my gawd, is that you, Squall?" Asked the busty brunette who had been training in the mountains. The village obviously wasn't far. Rinoa smiled sweetly at the young woman."Yes, Tifa. How is Quistis?" Squall responded. She frowned and bit her lower lip, a habit Yuffie also had. Squall was momentarily lost in thought of Yuffie doing exactly that while they trained. Whenever she was thinking, she would bite her lip."Quistis is still here... but, Rinoa, we need your healing. I... I'm not much of a healer and neither is Vincent. You know that." Tifa and Aerith had quietly competed for Cloud for years. Therefore, most people knew each person's ability. When it became obvious that Aerith had an affinity for healing – and healers were said to have pure hearts – Cloud had chosen her. All this when they were only teenagers. But Cloud and Aerith were destined for each other and Tifa had resigned herself to that. And Vincent wasn't a healer because he had inherited Chaos. People preferred not to speak of the beast."Well," she said after a moment of thought, "why don't we talk on the way to the village. Zidane is guarding the village and pumping Potions into Quistis. Vincent is... somewhere. Vincent, do you lurk?" She asked, a smile sneaking its way onto her lips.Vincent Valentine seemed to materialize behind them, his long red cape billowing in the brisk wind. He hadn't changed at all. When both young men were 16 and in the same class, a sort of friendship bonded them. They were very alike, as both were quiet, stoic, and known to be cold.Squall turned and looked Vincent straight in the eye for all of ten seconds. The cape-wearing man knew something, Squall just wasn't sure what. He sensed it had to do with Yuffie."Hey Vincent," Rinoa said cheerily. Back before the Heartless, Rinoa wouldn't have even raised her hand to wave. Squall knew that things were different when Vincent walked over to Tifa and the woman hugged him. Squall raised his eyebrows but said nothing."Leonhart," Vincent deadpanned as a greeting. Tifa smiled at him and looked like she was absolutely entranced."Valentine," Squall replied in his deep monotone. The men almost sounded the same. There were subtle differences, but both had deep timbres and the monotone Yuffie loved to tease Squall about. "It's been a while.""Yes."That was the entire conversation, and both women were a little confused. They used to be best friends, for heaven's sake!"Vincent is happy to see you, it's just that he's..." Tifa tried to explain. Squall nodded."I know."There was an odd silence before Vincent turned and started towards the village, Squall presumed. Yes, Vincent Valentine knew something, but was waiting for the opportune moment to tell Squall.After hiking a few small, snow-topped hills, their feet crunching in the snow, the group stopped at the summit and looked down into the spacious valley below. The lush valley was filled with trees – some of them fruit trees – and grass. There was a small stream running through it. They descended the hill.A young man, possibly 18 or 19, came running up to the foursome. His monkey tail twitched behind him. He reminded Squall of Sora a little bit. Squall remember Zidane, one of Yuffie's more annoying friends from back when."What's wrong, Zidane?" Rinoa asked the young man who was breathing hard."Quistis is in great need of your magic. You've got to hurry, Rinoa. I'm not so sure she'll make it out of this one," he panted. Rinoa nodded and ran as fast as she could towards the village. Vincent's red eyes seemed to spark and fire for a moment, then he sprouted wings. Yes, he had large, pointy black wings that unfurled from his back. Vincent followed Rinoa while Tifa, Zidane, and Squall continued at their fast walk."So, Vincent has learned to control Chaos," Squall stated as he watched the man swoop towards the running blue figure on the ground. Tifa nodded but said nothing. Something briefly flickered in her eyes, but then she was back to her normal self. "You two are together now too.""Yes. We have been for 2 years now. We want to get married, but have decided to wait until Hollow Bastion is back to normal. That may be awhile, considering the Heartless situation. But still," she sighed, "it's nice to dream that we could be married."Squall paused a moment before saying, "Hollow Bastion could be rid of the Heartless any day now. The Key has made it here." Both Zidane and Tifa looked puzzled, but Squall chose not to explain it. Let Rinoa tell them."You are Squall Leonhart, right?" Zidane asked suddenly. It occurred to Squall that he had had no connection to the boy except through Yuffie. It was funny that Squall's thoughts seemed to revolve around Yuffie more and more. "You babysat Yuffie Kisaragi and I when... well, before the Heartless. She was one crazy kid. But no one has heard about her for 9 years. Hey, we thought you were dead. Maybe she's out there somewhere." Suddenly, the monkey boy seemed to energize. "Have you seen Garnet? Last time I saw her, we were only kids. But still... have you see her?" Squall mutely shook his head.The great swooping form of Vincent Valentine descended upon the handful of makeshift buildings ahead of the walkers. Squall could no longer see Rinoa, but trusted that she was close to the village."Have you see Cloud?" Tifa asked out of the blue. Squall was only mildly surprise. Why hadn't it occurred to him that visiting friends from the past would hurt, a sting of things gone?"No. But Aerith is alive. I've lived with her and... Cid Highwind for 9 years."Tifa's jaw fell open and she clapped her hands excitedly for a few moments. "Really? Aerith's alive! Wow. I can't wait until I see her again." Each member of the party was then thrown into their own memories of the past.

* * *

"Come on, Quistis! You can make it. Just hold on," Rinoa encouraged the young woman who was currently fighting a failing battle with a fever. Rinoa murmured several Curagas over the woman to knock her out and ease the pain. Squall stood by the doorway, looking on with his mask of apathy."What's wrong with her?" Squall asked, stepping forward and towards the small pallet on the floor where Quistis lay. Rinoa soundlessly pulled back the white sheet from over her chest. Quistis wore wrappings to keep her proper, but there was an angry green and red cut running across her chest."It's infected. The infection is slowly progressing to her heart. Once it spreads there, well... she'll die. I can make sure she doesn't suffer when she dies, but I can't stop the infection. I've tried everything." Rinoa sighed and shook her head. "She'll probably die within a week or so. But I guess that's the way of things." She covered Quistis back up and rested her hand on the woman's shoulder a moment before standing."At least you'll make her happy. Lately, she's been sort of delirious. Whenever Vincent talks around her or to her, she thinks it's you. Quistis has missed you a lot," Rinoa observed quietly so as not to wake the young woman up. "That spell wasn't all that powerful. I think I'm losing it." She shook her head. "But, anyway, she'll be awake in an hour. You can visit her then." Squall nodded and followed Rinoa out of the room.A wave of scents assaulted Squall's nose the moment he stepped through the doorway. He realized that he hadn't eaten a decent meal in weeks

.  
  
"Hellloooo? Squall? Squall? Squallikins?!" Rinoa called, trying to get his attention. He snapped out of his reverie.

"Never call me that again," he said with a cold ferocity. She backed a step away, fear showing in her eyes. Just then, Tifa walked into the room where they stood."Supper will be ready in half an hour. Squall, Vincent wants to talk to you. He's at our house, the one closest to the mountains." Squall left the building, still angry with Rinoa for calling him "Squallikins." That was _Yuffie's_ name for him. No one else could use it. Ever.

* * *

"You've changed," Squall solemnly told the raven-haired man in front of him. His face remained emotionless, just like Squall remembered him doing. Actually, he was similar to the 16-year-old he had lost so many years ago, but in many ways, Vincent Valentine was completely different."I was about to tell you the same thing. Your differences are less noticeable, however," Vincent said to him. They sat around a medium-sized, circular, wooden table drinking green tea. That had been Yuffie's favorite drink also. She had liked that even better than Dr. Pepper. It was funny how Squall remembered the tiniest things in Yuffie."Well, I don't have a girlfriend around to change me.""Ah, but you do. What is Yuffie to you?" Vincent asked. Squall almost jumped out of his seat. How had Vincent known about Yuffie? "You wear sorrow, much sorrow, in your eyes, Squall. And Rinoa vaguely told me that you used to live with Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie. Now tell me, why are you here?""It is not your concern, Vincent.""So, you're just going to wallow in your problems, are you? Be miserable for the rest of your life?!" Vincent stood abruptly, anger flashing in his garnet eyes. This was unlike the Vincent Squall used to know. "I know how that is! Remember Chaos? Remember that beast that would appear when I had strong emotions? Remember that _curse_? I had condemned myself to a life of loneliness 3 years ago. But Tifa helped me! I've learned to control Chaos. You just have to swallow your pride and accept help from people." Vincent sat and was visibly calmed."Tifa has changed you.""Yes, women always do. And you've changed," he said, an I-told-you-so smile inching its way across his face."Why assume it is Yuffie?""Because, Squall, it is most obviously a woman. And you are hopelessly trapped in your past. One would think that it was a woman from your past. Since you didn't respond to Rinoa when she was all over you before-""Are you _everywhere_ now, Valentine?""-And since Aerith, the only other woman besides Yuffie in your world, will never be over Cloud, Yuffie was the only woman left. And she is perfect for you."Squall didn't answer."Admit it."Squall balled his hand into an angry fist and punched the table. "Even if I was attached to her," he said through gritted teeth, "she's dead."Vincent shook his head. "No she isn't," he replied logically."Damnit! Yes she is! I killed Yuffie!" He growled."So, we come to it at last. You believe that you killed Yuffie?" Squall nodded. "And I firmly believe she is still alive. Which of us is correct, I wonder.""You weren't there! You didn't see her fall! You..." he choked on his words and turned away from Vincent. "You did not hit her with your deadliest attack and _you_... _you_ did not see the blood," he deadpanned in his coldest voice, turning again towards Vincent. "No, Vincent Valentine, you have no opinion in this matter."Squall started towards the door. His soul had left his body. Now he was only an empty shell. Yuffie, he admitted finally, was dead. _Dead, dead, dead_, he thought bitterly. Mechanically. Squall opened the front door and stepped out. Hollow Bastion seemed infinitely colder and lonelier than it had been a few moments before."She's alive, Squall," Vincent whispered out after him. But Squall wasn't listening. His heart had plummeted down to the deep pit of despair and hopelessness. Furiously, he ran out into the middle of the valley and fell to the ground in anguish.The wind whipped at his long, russet locks and seemed to blame him for everything. Cloud rumbled overhead, threatening a storm. A squall. His namesake. Everything seemed so superfluous and ludicrous now. There was only one thing that mattered anymore. Yuffie was dead.Squall looked into the mountains and uttered, "Dead."

* * *

Yuffie readjusted her shorts so that all of the belts actually held them on. Aerith had just finished with Yuffie's hair, claiming that there was nothing to be done with it. Yuffie liked it better down anyway. It didn't really matter. Aerith and Caine had insisted that getting out, doing fun things with a friend or two, would be good for her health.Well, it had started out as a friendly outing with friends, but Aerith had been busy that night so it was now only Caine and Yuffie going out. To Yuffie, it seemed like more of a date than anything. She wasn't ready to date anyone. Not after... not after Squall had died. But Aerith had insisted, and since Caine had been so kind to her since the incident, she couldn't refuse. Still, Yuffie wasn't totally comfortable with the idea that she was going out on a date with a friend.Aerith gave Yuffie's hair a final brush down, inspected her outfit, and then smiled. She had been worried for her young friend ever since the ninja had started looking gaunt and worn. She needed a break from everything. Her fragile body and mind did not need the strain of worries.Caine escorted the young lady out to the Café. Yuffie had been pleasant, but didn't want to get too close to Caine. After all, he was a guy. Guys could do strange things. And those things were alien to Yuffie, as the only man she had ever, well, gotten close to was Squall. And Squall was... gone.But after Yuffie had poured over the menu, seen nothing she liked, and promptly decided that she wasn't hungry, her views changed. Only slightly. Caine was such a gentleman, such a sweet guy. It didn't mean she wanted to date him, but still. He was a good friend.They finally opted to go to the top of the Gizmo Shop and look out over the Second District. While Yuffie had always enjoyed the roof more, this was good too. It was a beautiful place to live, once you got over the fact that it was teeming with Heartless."So, Yuffie," Caine said awkwardly."So, Caine.""How are you feeling lately? I mean, how's your shoulder?" He asked, fumbling over his words. Yuffie smiled pleasantly and thought a moment before answering."Well, I still have that awful scar on my shoulder, but other than that, I feel great. Aerith still won't let me pick up my shuriken or Conformer. I wish she would... I kind of miss the feel of those throwing stars in my hand." Yuffie made a motion with her arm like she was throwing a shuriken and Caine laughed. His laugh was deep and melodious, but it just wasn't right. Yuffie couldn't explain it. But the laugh was not anything like Squall's rare laughter. It didn't have the ring of honesty that his did."But you're happier," he prompted.Yuffie sighed and looked out over the Second District. "I suppose so," she admitted. _Yeah, aside from the giant, gaping black hole inside where my heart used to be_, she thought."I am glad that you are feeling well, Yuffie. I wish that it had been I who was struck instead of you. I deserved it," he said humbly."Caine! No one deserved it. Squall lost his temper a lot. It's just one of those things with him that I had learned to deal with..." _To love is more like it._ "But it's not your fault that any of this happened. Really. You couldn't have stopped anything.""I'm glad you say this, Yuffie. It lifts a weight from my heart. But I have something else I must tell you," he whispered, a mischievous grin snaking its way across his face. He set a hand on her shoulder and leaned forward as if to tell a secret. Trusting him, Yuffie didn't pull away.That's when he kissed her. She pulled back, but he was persistent. His hand gripped her shoulder, not roughly, but tight enough that she couldn't easily move out of his grasp."Just go with it, Yuffie," he whispered, his breath brushing against her lips. And she complied. Maybe, just maybe she would have a chance to move on with Caine. Maybe the taste of his lips would overwrite the taste of another man's. She didn't dare even think his name. That would only cause her to look back, to grasp for the past.And all the while she knew that she could never totally let Squall go.

* * *

"Squall," Rinoa called to him as he sat, emotionless, in the grass. He hadn't moved at all. His heart was gone. His soul was gone. With one statement, he was different. Forever changed. Without Yuffie in his life, he was no more than a useless body. Nothing."Squall, are you all right?" She said, fear catching in her voice. He turned, and decided that the beautiful young woman might offer passing in her arms. Perhaps he would be able to get rid of the shadows of his past, and the pain. Would she be able to offer that? Squall stood."Yes, Rinoa, I'm fine," he told her, his eyes looking deep into hers. She was mesmerized, it seemed, and slowly came closer, until their breaths intermingled. That was when Rinoa took a giant leap to reclaim the love that was between them before. She stood on tiptoe and pecked him on the lips. It wasn't the long, sultry kiss she had planned for this moment, but it would do."Squall..." she murmured before pulling his head back down to hers and trapping his lips with her own. And in that moment, she forgot about everything else.

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**A/N: I really hated writing this chapter. Everyone seemed out of character and Squall and Yuffie betrayed each other! But it had to be done.****Thank you to my reviewers! Please review this chapter as well!****Ciao!**


	6. Pressure

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one except for the village in Hollow Bastion and Cain Stokes._  
  
**AN: There was some question on who some of these people were from my last chapter. So, here's a little key for you.  
  
Vincent: character from FFVII who is a lot like Squall. He's quiet and sullen. My story portrays him differently, however. Only slightly though   
  
Tifa: character from FFVII. She was one of the main love interests of Cloud in that story. She's caring and kind, but also has a kick-butt attitude sometimes.  
  
Quistis: character from FFVIII. I don't know much about her, only that she's a friend of Squall's. She doesn't have much bearing in this story anyway.  
  
Zidane: main character in FFIX. I call him monkey boy because he has a tail. He doesn't have any bearing on this story.  
  
Garnet: Zidane's love interest in FFIX.  
  
We all know who Rinoa is .  
  
Now, on with the fic!**

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"Vincent, are you ever going to stop brooding and come to bed?" Tifa asked, her voice tinted with amusement. He glanced up from the table where he sat and sent her a small smile. Vincent sighed deeply and ran a hand through his long raven mane. Slowly, he kicked off his boots and walked over to the bed, still deep in thought.  
  
"How badly has Squall messed up?" Tifa queried, guessing at the cause of his anxiety. He shook his head and sank onto the bed.  
  
"He kissed Rinoa, Tifa. Squall also denied the fact that Yuffie is alive and is suffering extreme guilt because he feels he killed her." Tifa gently massaged Vincent's back to ease some of the tension. Vincent's shoulders sagged in exhaustion and Tifa gave him a comforting hug.  
  
"But he doesn't know your connection," she added.  
  
Vincent shook his head, his loose hair flapping around his face. "He'll never believe me, Tif. He's convinced that I'm lying to him."  
  
"But you're not!" She replied heatedly.  
  
"I know that. But no one can change his mind. And besides, if we try to get too close to him, his already fractured outer shell will shatter and he'll go into seclusion. That's what I would do. He needs space right now."  
  
"But we can't have him mess things up. He's bound to ruin his relationship with Yuffie eventually. Squall is Rinoa's one and only love. She'll keep him, no matter what the cost," Tifa answered logically.  
  
"That's exactly what I am afraid of. Before the end, she'll try to get him into bed with her. You know it, Tifa. She's going all or nothing."  
  
The couple remained silent for a moment, thinking about the situation at hand. Tifa pondered on how to change Rinoa's mind on Squall. Vincent thought on how to help Squall out of the deep pit he had dug himself into.  
  
Tifa smiled suddenly and kissed him softly on the cheek. "You know how lucky I am to have you? A kind, intelligent, handsome, caring young man who loves me is rare indeed," she told him, settling comfortably against his chest.  
  
"How could I not be in love with you, Tifa?" Vincent nuzzled her neck while his hands strayed to her long, thick, chocolate braid. "You know, I've never seen you with your hair down," he mused, fingering her soft hair.  
  
"I haven't worn it down in front of anyone for many long years. Back," she snorted disdainfully and a look of bitterness crossed her face, "back when I was competing for Cloud. I've had no reason to let it down since."  
  
"I'd really like to see it," Vincent told her lovingly, knowing that, in its own way, letting her hair down was a release from their painful past. Tifa nodded and hesitantly reached around to pull off the rubber band holding it.  
  
Cascades of rich, dark hair flowed down her back. Tifa clung to Vincent as she sobbed.  
  
"A-Aerith's alive," she hiccupped out, "b-b-but Cloud..." Another torrent of tears flooded out of her eyes and onto Vincent's shirt. "Cloud is," she took a deep breath and looked straight into his garnet eyes, "gone. I'll miss him dearly, but... he would have never been the right one for me." She sighed and forced a smile onto her face. "Love you."  
  
Vincent gave her a long, assessing inspection before his lips twitched into a smile. He kissed her gently on the lips, then moved backwards to get a look at her tresses of hair. His eyes showed his surprise when he saw how long her hair was.  
  
"It's down to my knees. I haven't gotten it cut since I was born," she said, as if reading his mind. "My mother always had long hair, and I guess this is just in memory of her. Do you like it?" Tifa asked with apprehension. His face was expressionless.  
  
Vincent remained still, silent, and blank for a moment. When he clicked back, his face showed worry and anger. Tifa scooted away from him, wondering what was going through his mind. Finally, he stood and stepped into his boots. Tifa scurried over to where his dark red cloak hung and handed it to him. He put it over his shoulders and clasped it on before turning back to Tifa. There was a tiny, grim grin on his lips.  
  
"There's trouble," he told her simply, "and I want you to come too."  
  
"Should I grab my gloves? Is it Heartless?" Tifa inquired with worry.  
  
"Oh no, not that kind of trouble. Rinoa has made her move." While Tifa questioned how he knew what he did, she trusted his judgment. Vincent was never wrong when it came to that sixth sense of his.  
  
Now she just hoped that Squall held on to thoughts of Yuffie rather than cling to Rinoa for comfort. That was really the only way that he would manage not to muck up his future.

* * *

Squall slept fitfully on a thin pallet in a small spare bedroom in Rinoa's house. Dreams forced him awake, as the subject was always Yuffie. Yuffie laughing at Squall. The few times that Squall had looked upon Yuffie while she slept had popped into his mind. She was so angelic... In other dreams, Yuffie was crying, or arguing with Squall or Aerith. Yuffie.  
  
Someone knocked on the door and Squall jumped awake. He was still in a dream state, and for a moment, thought that it might be Yuffie. He opened the door. No, it wasn't Yuffie. He sighed in disappointment.  
  
"Oh, Rinoa, what's wrong?" Squall asked tiredly.  
  
"You called out for Yuffie in your sleep, Squall. Are you all right?" Squall noted that she definitely had an ulterior motive for coming to him, but he wasn't sure what.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine Rinoa," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. She came closer and brought her small, soft hand up to brush hair out of Squall face.  
  
"Good. I wouldn't want anything to be wrong," she replied in a low, quiet voice. Rinoa pressed her body up to his and gave him a long, sultry kiss. Squall half-heartedly kissed her back, and she took that as agreement. "You know what I want?" she asked, trailing her fingers suggestively down his chest and scooting even closer to him so that anyone looking would hardly know where one ended and the other began.  
  
Squall had a good idea of what she wanted. His heart wasn't in it, but his body certainly was. And while Squall definitely did not want to have sex with Rinoa, his traitorous body did.  
  
She stepped away and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of his room and down the hall to her room. Squall hesitated at her doorway, but ended up following her anyway. Rinoa fell over onto the bed, tugging Squall on top of her.  
  
Squall felt almost panicky now. While he had known that this was her plan all along, he didn't want it. That was the pure and simple truth. If he would ever have sex, it'd have to be with someone he loved. And Squall did not love Rinoa.  
  
He moved off of the bed, leaving a completely bewildered Rinoa lying there. She sat up and looked him in the eyes; hers filled with defeat. Squall ran a hand through his russet hair and sighed.  
  
"Rinoa, this... this just isn't right. I'm still in love with Yuffie. I want to be in love with you before I even consider having sex."  
  
"But Yuffie's dead," She spat out bitterly, tears coming to her eyes.  
  
Squall shook his head. "No, she's alive in me. And I've got to keep her there."  
  
Suddenly, there was a loud, pounding knock at the door. Squall and Rinoa both hurried towards the door, wondering what the problem was.  
  
Squall opened the door and gazed out apathetically at Vincent and Tifa. Vincent had a murderous look in his eyes as he glared at Squall. Tifa only looked disappointed.  
  
"What do you want?" Squall asked in his standard monotone. Tifa glanced up at Vincent before stepping forward and pushing Rinoa towards the kitchen area. Vincent roughly grabbed Squall and pulled him into the chill night, slamming the door behind him.  
  
"You fool!" He exclaimed loudly. "What do you think you were doing?" Squall blinked confusedly for a moment before replacing his mask.  
  
"Why does it matter to you?" Squall asked.  
  
"Because, if you dared to betray Yuffie, I will flay you alive. She's like a sister to me." He glared at Squall. "Now, what did you do?" He asked, emphasizing his question.  
  
"Nothing. She tried to seduce me. I wouldn't be seduced. Are you happy now? And what were you doing, spying on us?" Squall accused.  
  
"It's something I didn't get a chance to tell you. Chaos somehow gives me a heightened intuition. And I am sorry for bothering you."  
  
Squall sighed and ran his thumb over the scar on his face. "Maybe it's better that Tifa talk to her. I need to get out of here soon."  
  
"You need to go home. Make peace with Aerith and the man you were fighting over Yuffie with. She may be dead, but her memory will never fade. You can leave now, Squall. Go back to your gummi ship in the mountains. We can explain to Rinoa.  
  
"I will come back. Hollow Bastion will be rid of the Heartless soon, Vincent." Vincent nodded and Squall slipped into the house to grab his belongings and the Gunblade. Soon, he was back outside, no worse for wear.  
  
"You're still my best friend, Vincent."  
  
"No. We're more like brothers, Squall. Now go, before Rinoa comes out her and finds you."  
  
Squall nodded and ran off towards the mountains. In minutes, he had already become part of the dark, dark night. Vincent watched from the shadows.

* * *

"Rinoa, explain to me what happened," Tifa gently prodded the older woman. They sat at a small kitchen table and Tifa was attempting not to be too accusatory.  
  
"I don't know," Rinoa replied acrimoniously. "One moment, I though he and I could be happy together. We'd been denied that by the Heartless. The next, he confessed that he's not in love with me, oh so sorry, but still in love with Yuffie, who's dead."  
  
Tifa nodded sympathetically, knowing that men had no tact when it came to matters of the heart. "You knew that he loved Yuffie, thought."  
  
Rinoa sighed. "Yes, yes I did. It was so obvious. I just thought that, well, maybe..."  
  
"If you had sex he would feel obligated to stay?" Tifa guessed, completing her hanging sentence. Rinoa nodded.  
  
"And if I had a child, he's have to marry me. Squall would learn to love me again in time. I just would give it a head start. That's all. I still love him, you know," she told Tifa sadly.  
  
"But you know that it was wrong."  
  
Rinoa smiled grimly and said, "Yes. But would you like to be 27 and still be a virgin?"  
  
"Yes," Tifa said righteously. Rinoa laughed.  
  
"But there's still that ache for it when I see Squall. A little curiosity, a little fear, and some excitement. Have you ever felt that way?"  
  
"Well... uhh..." Tifa replied awkwardly. She looked down at the floor and began to twiddle her thumbs nervously.  
  
"Of course you have!" Rinoa answered her own question with a giggle. "You're not exactly innocent anymore, Tif. You and the vampire could be doing anything in that house of yours." Tifa blushed, embarrassed at the level of truth in what Rinoa was saying. Rinoa was in a good mood now, at least. That was a plus. "Ah, Tifa, I forgot how fun it is to tease you."  
  
"Well, as long as you understand that what you did was wrong," Tifa said.  
  
"I know, ma'am, and I'll never do it again," Rinoa replied like a repentant child.  
  
"Great. Now, there's... something else that I have to tell you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Squall's leaving."  
  
"WHAT?!"

* * *

"What's the spell again, Aerith?" Yuffie asked hesitantly, knowing that the Flower Girl had taught the same spell to her twice before. It wasn't her fault that magic just didn't come naturally.  
  
"Curaga. Say that, and then you have to feel pity towards that person. It wouldn't hurt to say a prayer too," the young woman replied.  
  
"Aerith?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"How do you wait for Cloud? How do you keep up that hope that he might still be alive?" Yuffie inquired.  
  
"Well, I love him dearly. If I ever saw him again, I would probably go crazy. It would be very different." Aerith smiled wistfully. "It's hard to hope. But I know he's still alive. His heart is still very much a part of me. So much so that I can almost feel him here." She sighed and turned back to her magic book.  
  
"I don't love Caine," Yuffie said suddenly.  
  
"I know you don't, Yuf. But he's a good guy. He can help you get over Squall," she replied disinterestedly.  
  
Yuffie cringed inwardly. Caine was not a 'good guy.' In fact, she was being pressured to do things with him. Caine always threatened to tell Aerith lies about things Yuffie had done. He had the upper hand. So, he used it to his advantage. At their last date, he had taken her behind the boxed in the alleyway and touched her. Everywhere. Afterwards, she had taken several showers, attempting to wash away his groping hands. Yuffie was sure that he would demand much more on their next date. She didn't know what to do.  
  
"Aerith, I... I..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I need to get out for a moment. Get some fresh air. I'm not feeling too great." Yuffie hustled out of the building and into the Second District.  
  
Yuffie was feeling sick. But it was fear rather than a bug of some type. She was afraid of what Caine would want next. Now was when she wished Squall would come back and get rid of Caine for her.  
  
So, brooding, she was hardly paying attention to where she was walking. Suddenly, Yuffie collided with a man who had seemed to pop out of nowhere. Yuffie didn't look at him, only mumbled a quick, "Sorry," before hurrying on.  
  
"Wait! Yuffie?"  
  
The young shinobi turned around. Her jaw dropped and she began to shake all over.  
  
"Squall?"

* * *

**AN: A cliffie! Hope you liked this story. I actually made that PG-13 rating. Used it to its fullest too. But every story needs the darker conflicts. If you feel that I went a little over the PG-13 limit, please tell me and I will edit this chapter and repost. I don't want to lose my account or anything.  
  
Oh, and I started a community on www.livejournal.com called Squffielove. It's a Squffie community and I would really like it if some of my readers would join!  
  
Ciao! **

P.S. I am soooo PO-ed at ff.net as I had posted this earlier, much better and with all italics and stuff, and it got jumbled up. I thank Deplora who reviewed anyway


	7. The Reason

_Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one except for Caine Stokes_

* * *

"Wha- what happened? Aerith? Aerith?" The confused shinobi sat up, holding her head, and looked around. She was in the familiar Green Room, on the bouncy bed. Squall never used to like it when she'd bounce on the bed. Squall... the memories came flooding back to her and she quickly tried to locate him in the room. He was leaning nonchalantly against the door to the Red Room."What the hell happened, Squall Leonhart?" Yuffie demanded, her voice shrill. He shook his head and ran his hand through his thick russet mane."We saw each other on the street and you fainted. Only after mentioning you that you thought I was dead, however. And why are you wearing my belts?" Squall asked."That's not what I meant and you know it!" She exclaimed angrily. "I thought you were dead because I woke up after two weeks of being out of it and you weren't there! Where were you?""I was-""There's no excuse! You left me without _protection_. I felt so _insecure_ without you, Leon! How could you?" Tears poured out of her indigo orbs and she turned away from him. "Why?""I thought I had killed you. I was convinced that you were dead at my hands," he whispered."And so you ran?! The fearless Squall Leonhart _ran_?" She asked incredulously. "Where in the universe did you run to?""Hollow Bastion. I stayed with the few remaining survivors," he said. Yuffie was suddenly excited."Who's alive?" She questioned."Zidane, Tifa, Vincent-""Vinnie's alive? I KNEW IT! VINNIE!" She clapped her hands happily, then paused. Squall hadn't finished with his list of people. "Who else?""Rinoa Heartilly."Yuffie jumped off of the bed, enraged. She pounded her fist into the wall. "What?! You left me with _Caine_," she spat out his name bitterly, "to go and live with Rinoa Heartilly?" Yuffie grabbed the pouch of shuriken Aerith had strictly said was off limits and strapped it around her waist. "I'm disappointed in you, Squall Leonhart," Yuffie whispered coldly before slipping quietly out the door to the alleyway. All that was left was her angry words.  
  
_"I'm disappointed in you, Squall Leonhart."_ Squall banged his head against the wall, knowing, of course, that Yuffie was right.

* * *

Yuffie threw shuriken against the wall of the Waterway, using her right arm. Her shoulder throbbed after a few moments of throwing, but she ignored the pain. There was more pain in her heart._Squall left me. He ran away,_ she thought angrily. _And he stayed with Rinoa, his former love._ Tears welled up in her eyes. _There was no way you could ever hope that he'd have feelings for you._ Her hopeless love would go unanswered forever, then._Caine lied_, a part of her piped up. It was true. Caine had told her that Squall had killed himself. He's probably also had some part in making Squall think Yuffie was dead. What had Caine said that was the _truth_? Certainly not the whispered declarations of undying love, or anything else he had told her _ever_.But Squall didn't love her. Would she be stuck with the likes of Caine Stokes forever? Or men like him? The mere thought disgusted her and she threw shuriken at the rock wall with renewed vigor."He'll never love me," she sobbed out as she blindly whipped throwing stars at the wall. "Never, never, never." Her sobs were sad and full of hurt. "I'm not good enough. Not good enough." Her tears were interrupted by a loud cry of pain. The scabbed-over scar on her shoulder had reopened, spilling her fresh, crimson blood. She clutched her arm, overcome by mind- numbing waves of pain. "My punishment," she sobbed.She wondered briefly what would happen to her if she didn't stop the bleeding. Eventually, loss of blood would make her black out. Then, if she lost more blood, she could die. No one came to the cavern anymore. Squall was the only one who could bear the gross green water. So no one would come along to save her. She weighed the different choices. Yuffie could mumble a quick Cura and then scurry over to Aerith, who would scold her. On the other hand, she could die and be free of this whole sticky situation. The second choice appealed to her more.The welcoming, foggy clouds of darkness already lurked around the edges of her mind. Yuffie leaned against the rock wall and closed her eyes. She heard the pitter-patter of rain; it was coming down hard. Green water lapped against the pebbly shore in the Waterway. Her attention started to wane and she was suddenly so sleepy. She barely registered the sound of someone coming through the deep water."Yuffie!" Squall exclaimed, pulling himself out of the water swiftly and clomping over to her. He quickly took off his relatively dry white t-shirt and wrapped it tightly around her arm. Yuffie opened her eyes slightly, and the life was almost completely out of them. Almost. "Curaga," he murmured, using the most difficult of healing spells. Warm green light flooded out of his palms and over the nearly dead ninja.Her eyes fluttered open, the life back. But they held none of the vivacity that Squall was so used to seeing. Instead, they were dull and dim. This worried the Gunblade wielder."Come on," he deadpanned, grabbing her left arm and pulling her out of the cavern. Squall had to get her to the Hotel so Aerith could heal Yuffie properly. She followed silently, and Squall was a little more than curious. But he chose not to ask. He didn't think she'd appreciate that question at the moment.The rain came down in sheets and both of them were instantly soaked. Squall shivered and felt bare without a shirt on. Yuffie didn't seem to notice much. She stared right up into the sky."You want to know why, don't you?" She asked suddenly, her voice distant. Squall nodded mutely. The ninja turned to him. "I thought it would release me from this mess I'm stuck in. It would ease my suffering. It would all be over," she whispered. He was bewildered, and had to sort what she said out in his head. Yuffie wanted to die to escape from a mess? The mess, he assumed, had a lot to do with him. She also mentioned suffering, but Squall wasn't sure what she meant. But he had to do, to say, something."And now I have a question for you. Curaga is a difficult spell, and to bring someone back from near-death is even harder. You've never been good with magic. What, did you pity me enough that it worked for me?" She questioned apathetically.Squall swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "Not pity. Aerith once told me that... love would work as well.""You thought of Rinoa, then?""No," he replied, shaking his head and spraying water everywhere. But it was all already soaked and it was still raining. "I don't love Rinoa. The love that I used for that spell was my love for you, Yuffie."She turned and looked him right in the eye. "You love _me_?" Yuffie asked, her throat tight and her voice tinny."Yes."Yuffie became acutely aware of their proximity. She also found that Squall was still holding her hand. The rain pounded down on them, but there was only she and Squall in that moment. Hesitantly, she removed her left hand from his and put it behind his neck. Standing on tiptoes, she brought Squall's lips down to her and kissed him softly.Squall wrapped his arms around her and brought her as close to him as physically possible. She grabbed handfuls of his hair as their kisses grew in intensity and passion. "I love you too," she said in between kisses._I found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you___   
  
Eventually, Yuffie became aware again of the pain in her arm. "Squall," she said, pushing away from him. "I don't think you'll be able to work another miraculous healing, so you'd better get me to Aerith soon." He nodded and picked her up, bridal-style, and carried her through the doors to the Second District."What are you doing? We could have just climbed up to the balconies," she said protesting."I could climb up the balconies. You only have use of one arm. We're just going the long way around." Yuffie sighed and settled into his arms, knowing that they made quite a spectacle. A man without a shirt on, carrying a young woman, who was bleeding, to the Hotel. Luckily, it was raining so no one would be likely to see them.Squall was busy thanking the gods for allowing him to find her in time. If he hadn't gotten to the cavern at just that moment, then she might have already been dead before he found her. He shuddered at the thought, and Yuffie trailed one arm across his cheek. He smiled at her and kicked open the Hotel door. Once again, there was no one at the desk, but it was better that way. One less person to gossip about what they saw the two doing.Squall carried Yuffie to the Red Room, where he was sure Aerith would be. He lightly knocked on the door and was admitted by the Flower Girl. She looked stunned and almost afraid.Aerith wondered if she was dreaming. This was all too like what should have happened that night several weeks ago. Squall was dead. That's what Caine said. But here he was, in the flesh, carrying an injured Yuffie. Part of her said to keep out the ghost, but the sensible part of her knew that Yuffie needed healing."Come in," Aerith said. "Set Yuffie on the bed and I'll check out her arm." Squall proceeded into the room and gently placed Yuffie on the crisp, clean bed. The young woman smiled at him, and closed her eyes, a slight grimace crossing her face.Aerith bustled over and pushed Squall out of the way. She carefully untied the rough tourniquet of Squall's shirt and viewed the damage underneath. She sighed and murmured a few different healing spells. The bleeding stopped and the spot was scabbed over once again. Aerith handed the bloody shirt to Squall and he just held it, looking at Yuffie's sweet, angelic face."She's sleeping, Leon. I put her to sleep with one of the spells. So, get changed and then we can talk. And believe me... we need to speak with one another. There's something very wrong here." Squall nodded and exited the room through the adjoining door.Aerith patted the shinobi's head and sank down into a chair near the bedside. What was going on? Why was Squall alive? And more importantly, what was up with Caine? She didn't know what to do, but knew that she was now the one everyone would look to for a decision. That is, if Squall couldn't get his act together. He had seemed haunted when he brought Yuffie in.It was times like these that Aerith wished Cloud was around. He'd help her. And while they had only been young teenagers when they parted, she loved him. Back then she hadn't known enough about love to feel that way. But after each passing day that she didn't see him, she knew that there was something in her heart for Cloud that no man would ever be able to claim. And, strangely enough, it was almost as if she could see him. The man he would be if he were still alive.It was a strange picture, for sure, but she kept it close. He was tall, and his spiky blonde hair was still spiky and gravity defying. He wore a deep red cloak, and his Buster sword was covered in wrappings. He had more armor, and now had a metal hand. But she put all of the strange things down to her rampant imagination and only loved to see him as he could have been.Squall entered the room in dry clothing, carrying some clothes for Yuffie as well. Aerith sent him a grateful smile and tucked the clothing away for when Yuffie woke up."Now, we need to talk, Leon. I have quite a few questions for you, and I need to figure some things out. So bear with me, okay?" Leon nodded and Aerith took a deep breath before continuing. "Yuffie and I heard that you had killed yourself after you hurt her. We heard that from Caine. Now, you show up, and it's like I'm seeing a ghost. What happened?""I went off to Hollow Bastion to be alone. I saw a long-lost friend there, and he convinced me to come back. Yuffie and I found each other on the streets and she fainted. When she woke back up, she was angry with me and left to vent her frustration in the cavern. When I found her there, she was close to death and I healed her. Then I brought her here. That's the basics of the whole grand adventure." Squall paused and looked up at the Flower Girl. "Caine Stokes is a loser and a fool. Years back, he was arrested for sexual harassment. That's why I argued with him that night so many days ago. I didn't want him anywhere near either of you. And he seemed intent upon Yuffie. And now I hear that he told you I had killed myself."Aerith had tears in her eyes and she stood and hugged Squall. "I'm so glad you're back, Leon." Then she moved away, blushing, a small smile on her face. "I knew something was wrong with Caine. Yuffie was getting more and more uneasy and Caine always had that disgusting smile on his face. But Yuffie never told me anything, so I just assumed that she was missing you. She always had a crush on you, you know.""Oh, we sorted out those things after I healed her," Squall replied with a mischievous smile creeping its way across his face. Aerith laughed but didn't ask."But what are we going to do with Caine?" The Flower Girl asked, suppressing their good mood. Squall frowned and shook his head, unable to decide."It should be Yuffie's decision," he finally said. "She's the one who has been the most involved with him. But if I get a chance to meet him again, I won't hesitate to run him through with my Gunblade." Aerith gasped, but then nodded. That was the only way to get rid of someone as bad as Caine. That or jail...Just then, someone knocked at the door. Aerith glanced at Squall, who nodded and quickly exited to the Green Room. "Who is it?" she called out to the visitor."It's Caine," the visitor said. Aerith wanted to scream right then, but cordially opened the door for him. He entered the room, his glasses slightly askew and his hair wet and messy. "I've been looking for Yuffie and I can't find—oh my, what happened?" He asked, seeing Yuffie out like a light on the bed."She got injured from using her shuriken. She'll be okay, though, it was only minor. Do you need anything, Caine?" Aerith asked, slightly angry."Well, I just wanted to know if she would be able to go out with me tonight. If she's feeling up to it, would you ask her?""As her official healer," Aerith said, plastering a fake smile across her features, "I'm going to insist that she stay in tonight. I'm sorry; I know she'll probably fight me over this.""Well maybe tomorrow, then?" Caine asked hopefully."Yes, I'll ask her about tomorrow. Is that all, Caine?""I just wanted to mention how lovely you look today, Miss Aerith. And how lovely you look everyday," he said, his ugly, gruesome smile coming out.Her murderous look told him everything and he quickly scurried out of the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as Aerith was alone, she plopped down in a chair and sighed.Squall crept back into the room, anger evident in his face. He wanted to kill Caine now, Aerith noted. At the moment, it didn't seem like such a bad idea."What are we going to do?"

* * *

**AN: Well? Was it worth waiting for so long? I apologize for the long wait, but my muse abandoned me. This was written muse-less, with only my limited creativity. Please review! And here are notes to a few reviewers:  
**  
**Natsumi Akimoto: Heehee, I guess you don't have to stick me in that uncomfortably small room with nothing but a computer with Microsoft Word, now do you? Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you like this story   
  
TiFa4ClOuD4EvEr: Well, since your life depended upon it, I wrote this as quickly as was humanly possible Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Angel-Shellz: The bold and italic can be added with ff's Quick Edit. I had the same problem as you do because I have Internet Explorer and that takes out the extra little things like that. Try editing a little in Quick Edit and you can get the bold and italic and such Thank you for your reviews!  
  
And of course, thank you to: Deplora, October Breeze, Hotaru170, and Miss Da Qiao for reviewing!  
  
Quick Advertisement: Check out a community I made on www.livejournal.com called "Squffielove." There are many good authors already joined, so please come on by! I'd be happy to have you join us! **


	8. Malice

**[a/n]** This is the last chapter of this fic. I'm very happy about how it turned out. There will be an epilogue, so look for that . I also want to take this time to thank Deplora and Ezri-Candy especially for helping me along with this chapter. Thanks so much!

_Disclaimer: I own nothing except Caine Stokes._

* * *

"Why do I always seem to be waking up?" Yuffie asked as she clutched a cup of green tea in her hands. The fragrant steam wafted up to her nose and she sucked in the comforting, warm scent. She looked to the person who was in the room with her. Yuffie flashed a quick grin their way before sipping her tea.

"I don't know. Why are you, Yuf?" Squall asked, a slight smile creeping across his face. Aerith had gone to resume her duties at the hospital for the time being. It was just Yuffie and Squall in the Green Room. The young ninja faked a look of annoyance and snorted mockingly.  
  
Yuffie shook her head and sat down the mug. Stretching, she yawned and pushed the fluffy covers away from her body. She stood, pausing a moment as a wave of dizziness overcame her sense, and slowly walked over to the smirking Squall Leonhart.She wagged a finger in front of his face, smiling. He caught her hands in his and brought his lips down to her. Yuffie attempted to wriggle out of his arms, but he only pulled her tighter. A laugh escaped her mouth when a hand grazed over a ticklish spot on her side. Squall grinned mischievously, and he started tickling her, merciless when she pleaded for him to stop.When Squall finally stopped, Yuffie had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. She tiredly sank onto the bed and pulled Squall down next to her."You're going to get it for that," she told him, trying not to smile. He saw through that poor disguise, however."Oh really?" he replied, kissing her again. She didn't resist at all, and soon their kisses were deepening. Squall freed her lips and scattered kisses along her jaw, to her earlobe, then down her neck."Why are you nibbling me?" she asked him. He looked at her, his face clearly sporting the 'you've got to be kidding me' look."Because I want to, Yuf," he said."Do I taste good?" she inquired with a giggle, knowing full well that it was one of the stupidest questions she could ask at the moment, but enjoyed the asking.Squall laughed. "Yes, of course."Yuffie escaped from his grasp and leaned against the headboard. Squall moved next to her, and she settled into his strong arms. He set his chin on top of her head and exhaled his breath."I love you, Squall," Yuffie murmured into his chest."I love you too," he replied, his voice rumbling in her ear. She could hear his heart beat, and rhythmic thumps somehow reminded her of the unpleasantness she would have to share with him about Caine. Frowning, she sat up and looked at Squall, her gaze meeting his perceptive sapphire eyes."But there's something I have to tell you. It's really awful... and you'll be so disappointed in me. Except I have to tell you before our relationship truly starts. So... will you listen?""Of course, Yuf," he said. "But I will not be disappointed. You can't disappoint me," Squall told her sternly. She didn't choose to respond to that, only took a deep breath and swallowed nervously."Okay. Here goes nothing.""Well, in your absence, I was a complete and total mess. Physically, my arm was useless for a while. But I was a wreck emotionally too. I was devastated because I thought you were dead. I was angry with both you and Caine for starting that stupid argument, and I was angry with myself for doing everything wrong. There was no one I could turn to. Aerith suddenly became distant, you were supposed dead, and I'd never been close to anyone else. I found solace in the only place I could find. That was with Caine.""It started as nothing more than friendship, but it evolved into more of a relationship. We were dating, officially. He and I kissed on more than one occasion." Yuffie could tell this annoyed and angered Squall. She continued on anyway. "And I thought that the empty feeling would go away. It didn't, though. It only became a giant, angry, gaping hole where my heart had been.""I could only continue on as normal. That's when Caine changed. Or maybe I did. I don't know." She shook her head. "He started demanding things of me. Sure, I hated him shoving his tongue down my throat, but what was I to do? He was going to tell Aerith lies about me if I didn't oblige. Now that I look back on it, it would have been better for him to tell Aerith because then I could explain to her what was going on. But... I wasn't thinking. Gawd, it was so awful!" Her throat tightened and she started crying. "I mean, he was one step away from raping me! I was so scared. Oh gawd, Squall, I was so scared," she finished, falling into his arms sobbing.Squall Leonhart was furious. Not with Yuffie, he could never be angry like that with Yuffie. But with Caine Stokes. _That lying, filthy bastard; that son of a bitch,_ he thought. All he wanted to do now was run Stokes through with the Gunblade.Yuffie calmed down slightly, and stopped crying. "I'm so, so, so sorry," she whispered. Squall hugged her tightly."There's nothing to forgive, Yuffums. I'm mad at Stokes," Squall replied."What should we do to punish him? She asked, almost gleefully."What would you like to do to him?" he inquired."How about we castrate him?"Squall coughed and attempted to hide his laughter. Yuffie cocked an eyebrow at him, amazed by the stoic lion's outburst. He'd changed... but she liked the change._I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
And the reason is you_"Which reminds me of something else." Squall nodded, prompting Yuffie to continue on with what she was saying."Well... umm... it's kind of embarrassing, actually, and..." her face turned beet red and she turned away from him... trying to get rid of the crimson color. "I mean, it's sort of personal, and it's stupid, and... I don't know how to tell you," she finally said.When Squall didn't say anything, she burst out with, "FINE! I know you want me to say it, and so I will. I'm scared of sex."Squall blinked a couple of times, surprised by what she was saying. "I mean, just what Caine was doing scared me, and I don't really mind the kissing and stuff, but I know our relationship will get more intense and everything, and... I just want to make my intentions known. I don't really want to have sex until I'm married, alright?" she asked, rubbing her arm nervously. Squall hugged her."Of course. I wouldn't want you to feel badly about it." He looked at her, a tender expression in his eyes. "Although you really don't need to be scared. But I respect your decision, Yuffie.""Thank you, Squall," Yuffie replied, hugging Squall back. When she finally got out of his arms, she smiled and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "I knew you'd understand."There came a knock at the door. Yuffie frantically glanced over at Squall, who motioned towards the door. He slipped into the Red Room, but didn't close the door all the way so that he could hear whoever it was at Yuffie's door.Nervously, Yuffie slowly opened the door. Her heart stopped beating for a second, and she swallowed the scared lump in her throat. "Hello, Caine," she said, forcing cheerfulness into her tone. Squall's knuckles were white as he grasped on to the door handle."Why, hello, Yuffie. I'm happy to see that you are feeling better. Aerith said you had broken open that wound again. Now what have we told you about throwing shuriken?" Caine teased, placing a heavy hand on Yuffie's shoulder and forcing her to sit on the bed."Oh, I know. But I wanted to go out and destroy some Heartless. I got a couple!" she exclaimed. Yuffie really was a marvelous actress. All Squall wanted to do was go out and strangle the man. But he held himself back."Would you be up to a date tonight?" Caine asked her sweetly, brushing a stray lock of ebony hair out of her pale face."I really don't think so. I'm pretty much wiped out from all of that... and I don't know if I could last through supper!" She yawned and blinked a couple of times to make it look like she was tired."Come on, Yuffie, are you avoiding me?" Caine inquired in a low voice. Her eyes widened, and she leaned away from him, but shook her head no. "Well then why are you scooting away?" He leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips, but she quickly stood and walked to the other side of the room.Squall looked longingly at his Gunblade that was sitting by the bed, and near Caine. His only hope to overthrow the man was to jump him, stun him for a second, and grab the Gunblade. He stood behind the door, watching."You wouldn't want me to tell Aerith anything, would you?" he threatened, moving closer and pinning her against the wall.Squall, furious, rushed out from the Red Room and tackled Caine, punching his nose. Caine was shocked, but quickly retaliated by launching Squall off of him and standing. The Gunblade wielder fell backwards, but got back on his feet."What the hell are you doing here, Leonhart? You're supposed to be gone!" Caine asked in obvious surprise. Squall glared at him."Just call me a ghost. After all, you said I was dead," he growled, circling around so that he would be nearer to the Gunblade. Caine was completely oblivious to the fact that Squall was attempting to get his weapon."But I made sure you thought Yuffie was dead. Why did you come back here?" Caine asked him angrily."A friend knocked some sense into me." Squall inched closer to the Gunblade. "You're done with Yuffie. I know what you've been pressuring her into doing. And it's over." He picked up the Gunblade and sliced the air. "You're as good as dead."Caine scrambled to his feet and inched towards the door. "This isn't a fair fight.""No, but it wasn't fair that you pressured an injured girl into doing things to satisfy your sick mind. Face it, you don't deserve a fair fight.""I beg to differ," Caine replied before slipping out the door and quickly exiting the Hotel. Squall would have pursued him, but Yuffie held him back."He'll cast magic, and you'll get hurt. Wait, Squall. You can beat him anyway, even with a sword. I know you can," she pleaded with him clutching one of his muscular arms tightly. Squall looked down at her, smiled, and stopped trying to follow Caine."You're right... I know he'll be around tonight... in the same place I fought him at before. Only this time, you're not jumping in front of him. Got it?" Yuffie nodded and Squall hugged the shinobi close to him.Caine watched from the shadows of the balcony, observing where the lion's weakness was. When he found all the information he needed, he swiftly left and went to formulate his plan. There was so much to do, and so little time to do it.

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Aerith escaped from the confining spaces of the hospital, wanting nothing more than to go home and take a nice, long, hot shower. It had been a taxing day, and her magic was worn out. She popped in a spare ether, just in case the Heartless would come out, and went towards the Second District.Something didn't quite feel right, though. There was something wrong in the little town, something that unsettled her nerves. And she knew that it had to do with her friends, the people she held near and dear to her heart.All of a sudden, Yuffie burst through the doors to the Second District, calling Aerith's name. The Flower Girl was visibly shaken, and she ran over to the frantic ninja. She had to calm down the girl before she could even understand a word Yuffie was saying."Squall is fighting Caine!" She gasped out. "And Caine is really good. I left quickly so that I could find you. Squall might need backup." Yuffie grabbed Aerith's wrist and pulled her through the doors to the Third District. Aerith was very worried, and she placed another ether in her mouth.Yuffie pushed open the doors to the Third District with difficulty. Aerith realized that there was a spell preventing anyone from entering the District. She reached into the far recesses of her mind, looking for a counter, anything that would allow the two into the District. If Caine had mastered a challenging spell like this, Squall would be in a whole world of trouble.Finally, the spell was released and the two young women entered the wide-open area. Squall and Caine were furiously battling, parry, thrust, parry, thrust. Squall was blocking shots more than he was attacking, and even though Aerith had limited fighting experience, she knew that wasn't good. She prepared a simple healing spell for when Squall would surely falter.That was when Yuffie, being foolishly in love, ran in front of Squall this time, blocking Caine's blow. Caine had enough control over his attack to stop, but a wicked smile was plastered across his handsome features."How familiar. I remember something similar to this happening; only you were blocking Leonhart's attack. Charming, Yuffie. Only... I'd feel no remorse in killing you." Caine slapped her hard, and his physical prowess combined with his magical force made her slam back into the wall, unconscious. Aerith gasped and ran over to the girl, murmuring cure spells until her hands glowed with an ethereal green light."Foolish girl," Caine laughed, directing his harsh comment towards Squall. "Of course, she fell in love with you, Leonhart. That has got to be one of the stupidest things she's ever done, no?"Squall growled at Caine, a deep, guttural noise emanating from his throat. "You'll regret the day you were born, Caine. You'll regret it." Squall charged at Caine, his Gunblade raised. Caine dodged the attack and kicked Squall in the stomach, smiling at the satisfying sound of bone crunching.Squall stepped back, clearly in pain. His vision was hazy, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep fighting. Caine sliced Squall across the stomach, blood gushing out of the deep wound. Squall fell to the ground, bleeding and choking up the crimson death."I knew you'd never beat me, Leonhart. I guess the lion loses after all. A pity. But at least now I will take your sword," Caine walked over to the crippled lion and kicked him again, just for good measure. Then he bent down to pick up the weapon."Not on your life," shouted someone from the other end of the arena. Aerith floated in the air, green light shrouding her being and making her seem more like a creature from another time. Caine faltered and stepped back from the sword, looking up at the frail, gentle woman who had transformed into this sorceress."Please help me, Cloud," Aerith whispered. Green light surrounded the fallen warriors, Yuffie and Squall. They floated into the air also, their cuts and wounds closing over, bones healing, color returning to their faces. And then their eyes opened. Aerith set them back down on the ground, and then fell from her hovering point onto the hard pavement, seemingly dead."Oh my god, Aerith! Aerith, wake up! Wake up!" Yuffie pleaded with the Flower Girl, tears streaming out of her indigo orbs. She turned her attention towards Caine, picking up the sack of shuriken and saying the words to a few attacking spells Aerith had taught her under her breath.Squall stood, a bit shaky, picking up his Gunblade. He advanced on the shocked man and thrust the Gunblade at him. Caine barely blocked the blow. Then he was back to normal. Only, Aerith's last spell had given both Yuffie and Squall enough power and energy, and life force to take on this tough opponent.That was when Caine made one fatal mistake. He tried to attack Yuffie first. Squall was enraged, his fury making the Gunblade a pale, holy white, burning with passion. Squall cut him down until he lay on the pavement, bleeding and bruised, but still conscious.Yuffie took pity on the man, however. She took Squall's arm to stop him from giving the final blow to Caine. Tears were in her eyes, and she shook her head. While she hated him, hated him more than anything in the world, she couldn't kill another human being. Not like this.Squall turned away, walking towards the fallen Flower Girl. Caine took his sword and made one last stab Squall's way, hitting his leg and making the lion falter and turn around.Yuffie took up the Gunblade. "I pitied you. I thought that this near death experience would make you think about things. But you'll never change. And I hate you." With that, she took the Gunblade and stabbed him through his chest."Good... bye... Yuf-" Caine's eyes glazed over as his blood flowed onto the pavement. Yuffie dropped down to the ground, tears pouring out of her eyes. It began to rain.

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**[a/n]** I was so excited writing this. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please review for me!


	9. The Beginning

**[a/n]** An epilogue, as promised!  
  
_Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Caine Stokes. Thanks very much._

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It's almost been a year now since everything started. To think that my birthday, last year a source of pain and heartache, has come again. I'll be eighteen tomorrow. A full-fledged adult. Last year, I hardly seemed to be past childhood. Now, all that has happened has changed me.All of it started with one man, too. Kind of odd that one young man put so many things in motion. We never found out why Caine Stokes did what he did. After talking to his sister, we discovered that they had an abusive father in their childhood. But that still explains so little. Caine was an enigma I'll never figure out.I can't tell you that I killed Caine and had a clear conscience afterwards. It was probably one of the most haunting experiences I'll ever have. There's always someone in the crowd with his blond hair, and something inside me stirs. There was so much emotion between us that will take years to get over. But Squall has been a real help for me.Yes, Squall Leonhart. We've both found love and never, ever want to let it go again. That was too horrifying the first time. We're not living together or engaged yet, but I'm pretty sure Squall will pop the question tomorrow. I've seen him around the jewelry shop and the owner has been giving me little winks for a week now.Vincent, Tifa, Zidane, and Rinoa moved to Traverse Town after Squall firmly insisted that they come. Monkey boy has started searching for Garnet and I hope he finds her soon. He deserves to have her, like I have Squall.Vincent and Tifa aren't married yet. They still won't tie the knot until Hollow Bastion is restored. Although I don't know how long that'll last. Tifa has already shared with Aerith and I that she thinks she's pregnant, but will wait until she's absolutely sure to tell Vinnie.When Vincent arrived in Traverse, I jumped him. I'm not kidding. I jumped onto him and hugged him as hard as I could. He actually hugged me back! And Aerith's and Tifa's reunion was very tearful. They're best of friends now, and do everything together. That's okay, as I've made a new friend.Have I mentioned my new friend yet? Her name is Rinoa Heartilly. Yes, that Rinoa. It was an awkward moment between Squall and her. She finally came up to him and hugged him. It wasn't a bit romantic. I couldn't hold a grudge against her, especially when she was still so heartbroken. I talked to her, and, surprisingly, she wasn't angry with me either. She and I are great friends, and have discovered that we are somewhat alike. Rinoa has been dating a mystery man now for a month. She's going to bring him around to my party tomorrow.I've been wondering now where Cid has been. He'd disappeared a year ago, on my birthday. But when Squall and I went to the Coliseum for the Hades Cup tournament, we found out why Cid had been gone. Lo and behold, Cloud Strife was alive and kicking, participating in the tournament. He and Squall talked without me around for a while, I was busy discussing past events with Cid. The gummi pilot hasn't yet managed to clean up his vocabulary. He is planning on taking Cloud to Hollow Bastion in a week, and Squall and I are responsible for bring Aerith there as well. So, they should meet again after so many years. I'm very happy about that.I think all the loose ends are tied up now. We anxiously await the departure of the Heartless, because they've gotten much stronger. But we can handle anything now. I mean, come on, between the two hottest guys in all the universe (Squallie and Vinnie), plus me, the Greatest Female Ninja Ever, we should be able to kick some bad-guy butt.But there's still something I have to get off my chest. And that concerns Caine. May his soul rest in peace. There must have been something wrong inside to make him act the way he did. I can only hope that he can resolve his problems now. And, as I write this, there's a comforting presence in the room, like the good side of Caine, the side with a soul, is here with me. And you know what? It's a rather nice feeling. He wasn't all bad. The tiniest glimmer of light inside his soul can still save him. And I think it already has. He's forgiven me now. I think I can finally go on in peace... reconciled with him and myself.I'm a clean slate, a fresh day, a new beginning. And I can't wait to start living.

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**[a/n]** That's it. That's the end of the songfic that is 'The Reason'. I really hope that everyone enjoyed it, as I enjoyed writing it. Originally, it was going to be Squall being called away to see Quistis before she died, and Caine sneaking up into Yuffie's heart. But I was all excited when my muse presented the idea of Squall hurting Yuffie on a silver platter. Needless to say, I think my muse was right in that decision .Here are the people who made this story possible through their encouraging reviews. I love each and every one of you and if I could, I'd visit you all and hug you to death. Anyway, here's the list.October Breeze  
  
Deplora  
  
Peter the Muggle  
  
Annjirika  
  
Anime no Megami  
  
Regno Cuore  
  
hush the silent  
  
SunMoon,EarthSky  
  
dragonmaster  
  
Vivi  
  
BlueEyedDemon1  
  
Hotaru170  
  
SetsuntaMew  
  
Hieis-Water-Hanyou-Neko-chan  
  
immortalbreeze04  
  
ria-aeon-hunter  
  
Aoi-butterfly  
  
krysmitsukai  
  
himaco  
  
TiFa4ClOuD4EvEr / Tifas-love90  
  
Miss Da Qiao  
  
Natsumi Akimoto  
  
Angel-Shellz  
  
Ezri-Candy  
  
DemonSurfer  
  
ROBINROX  
  
tim or death  
  
Rednight-riderI got a record 60 reviews for this story, which is more than I've ever gotten for any other story. I really appreciate that, all reviewers! I'm pretty sure that Ez and Jupiter will let me go into the Enchanted Plushie rooms and give out some. We have Squalls and Vinnies, Sephys, Clouds, Rikus, anything you want, we have it .I want to thank three special people for helping me along the way.** October Breeze** deserves a lot of credit on getting this story going. She was my editor for a while with the first chapters and was really dedicated in getting my stuff back to me with comments and helpful hints.** Deplora** encouraged me to continue when I was at a major writer's block. Thanks Deplora! And finally, to my friend **Ezri-Candy** (otherwise known as Ez), whose account was frozen unjustly -sniffle-... and who helped me finish this fic. She is a great friend and I hope you all take a gander at some of her stories, as they are worth viewing.

And of course, I have to thank Hoobastank for writing the song 'The Reason.' Were it not for that song, I wouldn't have made this fic!

Well, I'm longwinded. To wrap things up, I'm starting a new story! Possibly two, but I'm not sure. It will be called "Lost Soul" and full details are in my bio.

Lots 'O Love!  
  
pingpong 


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